Goodbye
by alexa callahan
Summary: Harry falls for Voldemort's niece, who turns out to be a muggle unaware of her magical roots. Will their love blossem, or will blood tear them apart? There is more to the story, parings are HPOC, SBOC, & RWHG. PLease review this is my first real fic.


Goodbye  
Written by Andrea Black  
Co written and edited by Alexa Callahan Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I am just saying this because if I don't mean old lawyer people will come to my house and make me pay lots and lots of money. I don't get it though I am not JK Rowling so isn't it obvious that I don't own Harry Potter. I repeat I am not JK Rowling, or am I? Muw ha ha ha ha! Give a lawyer a hugie-poo. By the way there is some language so viewer discretion advised. The story line however is mine if you steal it then I will hunt you down and kill you. Just kidding. My co writer will hunt you down and kill you.  
~*~ "Come on you slow people." I excitedly shouted to my friends. "I want to get there before dark."  
"Calm down Nick." My best friend Cat shouted to me.  
"Yea Nick your act is getting a bit annoying." Corrie complained. Corrie was my other more down to earth best friend.  
"Aw come on Corrie." I said innocently, "You don't mean that." I stopped and waited for the group. Cat, Corrie, Erica, Diane, Brad, Daniel, Gale, Sarah, Alex, Erica, and I were on a vacation in England from the USA. There was so much to see and I with my everlasting sugar high was bent on seeing it all. We had only been here for a few days but so far we were having a major blast. Today we were going to number 12, Grimmuald Place. My friends and me were all big Harry Potter fans. But as much as I loved Harry we all loved Sirius about ten times more. None of us expected for this place to be real, but man were we surprised.  
"Ring the doorbell." Sarah, my younger twin sister ordered as she played with her long red hair. We were identical, but you could no longer tell cause I looked totally different. I had started dyeing my hair in my first year of high school and had done it a different, bolder color each year. This year it was a violent shade of violet with streaks of hot pink.  
"Alright." I said as I extended my finger to ring the doorbell. I used to be a cautious little girl but that was long behind me. Before I would have been to scared to ring the bell for fear of disturbing the people within, but know I wanted to meet the people within. I didn't care if they weren't the magical people who lived here in stories.  
"Oh dear." Said the plump motherly woman with red hair who answered the door.  
"Ohmigod are you like the Mrs. Weasley?" I asked.  
"Y-yes. How did you find this place, are you part of the Order?" she asked.  
"No, but we have read all about you and Harry. Well mostly Harry." I chattered on and on. "We found this place with a map. We knew it was the HQ of the Order cause of the Harry Potter books. We had no clue it was real though."  
"Get inside, all of you." Mrs. Weasley said as she ushered us into the dirty house. "Now wait here while I get Dumbledore. He'll be able to handle this."  
"I can't believe it." Corrie said.  
"I know." I said for once not in a sugar high. "I always dreamed of magic being real. Of the books being true. But never once did I think it was really true."  
"Yea." Cat said. "Hey do you think Sirius is dead yet?"  
"I don't know. Most likely." I said.  
"Come with me." Mrs. Weasley said. We followed her through the dark house to a room with a large fireplace. I let out a small gasp. In the fire sat Dumbledore's head.  
"Who are you?" he asked calmly.  
"I am Nikki Albert, this is Sarah Albert, Corrie Harden, Cat Smith, Erica Miles, Diane Miles, Brad Ruder, Alex Wesa, Erica Wetherford, Daniel Jones, and Gale White." Dumbledore continued to asked questions like why and how we found this place and how we knew about the Order.  
"Professor. I think I recognize this girl." Harry said uncertainly.  
"Which one?"  
"Nikki. It's Nikki right?" He asked as he pointed to me.  
"Me?"  
"Yea."  
"Where have you seen her before?" Dumbledore asked.  
"Well I've been seeing her in my dreams." Harry said.  
"Have you, any of you, a connection with Voldemort?" he asked.  
"No!" I snapped. "How could I? After all of the evil he has done! After all the people he killed! All for that stupid reason." I screamed in rage. I didn't not want to be connected to that.that thing. "No one deserved to die. Not one of them. No one deserved to be left without a family. No one deserved to feel the pain of lose." I almost started to cry.  
"It's okay. Nick." Corrie said. "It's okay."  
"No it's not. Not if that monster is back. Not if that murderer is free to kill innocents once more. With him around nothing will be okay." I said through my tears.  
"Have you any connection to the magical world?"  
"Apart form the stories no." I said.  
"If it is alright with your parents I would like for you to attend Hogwarts starting this year. You to Miss Hardin."  
"What?!" Corrie and I screamed.  
"What?" my friends echoed.  
"You two showed great power just now. It surprises me that you haven't been asked to attend an American school."  
"Ohmigod." I repeated over and over. "B-but I."  
"If you don't wish to attended then you don't have to."  
"N-no that's.that's not it. It's just I don't know if I'll be able to. I mean I would have to stay here almost year round. And I wouldn't get to see my friends and family as often. And I don't know if I'll be able to afford everything." I stuttered.  
"I could help you." Harry said. "I could buy you everything you need."  
"I couldn't ask you to do that." I whimpered.  
"It's no problem really." Harry said.  
"In all of the thousands of pages Rowling has written about you she has never even begun to adequately describe your kindness. Going to Hogwarts has been my dream since I first opened Harry Potter and the Soccer's Stone." I could have kissed Harry at that moment but instead I ran to him giving him a big hug. "Thank you." I cried.  
"You're welcome." He said.  
"I can't believe this is happening." Corrie said in disbelief.  
"I know." I cried.  
"I must be going now. Don't worry about these children Molly. They'll do you or anyone no harm." With a faint popping noise Dumbledore's head disappeared.  
"Wow." Corrie said to herself.  
"What?" I asked her.  
"Yea Corrie, what did you say?" Diane asked.  
"Nothing I was just surprised that one of us gets to go to Hogwarts." Corrie said.  
"I was super surprised to." I said. "BTW it's two of us."  
"Oh yea, right."  
"Harry. I really don't want to ask you for anything but do you think I could borrow Hedwig?" I asked.  
"Me too." Corrie said.  
"Sure. I'll get you some parchment and a quill to." Harry said as he ran up to his room.  
"What's going on?" someone asked as they entered the room.  
"Ohmigod. Cat am I dreaming?" I asked Cat who replied by pinching me. "Ow!"  
"Not dreaming." Cat said.  
"Then I've died and gone to heaven." I said to her.  
"I don't think so." Said Gale who along with the boys, Sarah, and Erica hand managed to keep her head.  
"You guys if Sirius is here that means that he hasn't gone through the veil yet." I whispered to my fellow Sirius lovers.  
"That or they have already found a way to bring him back." Corrie said.  
"Hey Sirius. Have you been to the Department of Mysteries lately?" I asked.  
"I wish, any place would e better than this." Sirius said.  
"That's what you think." I said.  
"What?"  
"Nothing." I said. "Okay he hasn't gone through the veil yet. Should we warn him?"  
"Duh, Nickoleon." Cat said.  
"But that might lead to something else that we don't want to happen." I offered.  
"Like what?" Erica asked.  
"I don't know. Maybe Harry will get killed instead." I said.  
"Who cares as long as Sirius lives?" Erica asked.  
"I care. After all that Harry is going to do for me I don't want him to die. Besides I kind of like him." I admitted.  
"But I thought you were all about Sirius." Diane said.  
"Well not really. I mean I love Sirius but I love Harry too. I'm confused. It's harder when they are real people."  
"All in favor of telling him say aye." Corrie said.  
"Aye." My friends chorused.  
"I don't know." They all stared at me with begging eyes. "Alright I guess, but I get to tell him."  
"Agreed." They said together.  
"Uh. Sirius May I have a word with you?" I tentatively asked.  
"Sure. By the way do I know you?" he asked.  
"I'm Nikki. You don't know me but in a minute you'll be glad you know me now." I said.  
"Why is that?" he asked.  
"Because. Well I don't know how to tell you this but."  
"Go on." Corrie urged.  
"In a few months from now Harry will have a dream that you are Voldemort's prisoner. Harry believes that the dream is a reality so he tries to contact you. Hermione insisted upon this of course. So Harry tries to reach you and is led to believe that you went to the Department of Mysterious by Kreacher. He then goes there himself to try to save you. Unfortunately when you are dueling with someone you are hit." I stopped fountains of tears flowed from my eyes. Finally. I thought the tears that would not come when I read the sad passage came to me. "You fall through the veil."  
"I don't get it." Sirius said.  
"You will die Sirius. When people go through the veil they do not return." Corrie said.  
"I got the stuff." Harry said upon reentering the room. "You okay?"  
"What? Oh yes I'm fine." I said as I instantly stopped crying.  
"Well here's some parchment and a quill. Just give me the letter when you are done." Harry said.  
"Thank you." I said taking the stuff from him.  
Dear Mom and Dad,  
I am having so much fun here. I miss you though. I can't wait  
till the next time I get to see you. Which may be longer than we  
thought. Professor Dumbledore has given me the chance to  
attended Hogwarts. I am so happy about it. And everyone is happy  
for me. He said I could go with your permission. Harry, Harry  
Potter, (yes the Harry Potter, he's real) has offered to pay for  
everything I need for school. Another thing, I won't need to  
worry about finding a place to stay because I can stay there  
during breaks, apart from summer of course. But we could figure  
out what I'd do during summer later. Please send your answer by  
return owl.  
Love your daughter,  
Nikki.  
"Here Harry." I said as I handed him the paper. "Thanks a ton for everything." I said giving Harry another big hug.  
"No problem." He said. I don't know if I had imagined it or not but I think I saw him blush.  
"Well as much as we would like to stay," Corrie started. "we really must get back to the hotel."  
"Yea," I sighed. "Bye then."  
"Bye." Harry echoed. We started to walk towards the door when I stopped.  
"Harry this is where I am staying." I said as I handed him a piece of paper with an address on it, "Come by whenever you want, or whenever Hedwig gets back with my parents response. By the way the place is cool with pets if you know what I mean."  
"Cool." Harry said, "See you soon then."  
"Yea." I said shyly.  
~*~  
"Ohmigod!" Cat shrieked once we were all out of the house.  
"What?" I asked innocently.  
"You were just flirting with Harry Potter." She said.  
"You like him." Corrie teased.  
"So." I said. "I hope he comes by soon."  
"Can you guys stop teasing Nick about Harry and think about what would happen if you guys get to go?" Sarah said as we walked to the bus stop.  
"Good idea. We'll miss you a lot." Brad said, the others agreed.  
"It's not like we're gone already. Our parents haven't said yes yet anyway so thing are cool." I said.  
"You guys wont go off and forget us will you?" Cat asked.  
"Oh god no." I cried. "I'd never do that. You guys are my best friends."  
"Same here." Corrie assured them. "Yea." They all agreed.  
"We'd send you all an owl every day." I promised.  
"Look." Daniel said. "The bus is coming." We boarded the bus together. Then we were just eleven happy teens who just wanted to have some fun.  
~*~  
"Have you been up all night?" Erica asked.  
"Yea I think." I whispered so as not to wake the others.  
"Thinking about Hogwarts?"  
"Yea. If I can go I don't know if I should go or not." I said.  
"Why is that?"  
"Well if I go then I will be leaving my friends and my family behind. But if I don't go then I will be giving up my only chance to well."  
"Learn magic and love Harry?" Erica said for me.  
"Yea," I whispered.  
"It's your decision, if you want to go then go. Nothing is stopping you. We will all support your decision no matter what it is." Erica assured me.  
"Thanks." I said, "I've always wondered if I belonged somewhere else. Cause I never thought I fit in to well back home." Erica stared at me. I guess she didn't expect me to share with her one f my greatest secrets and fears, "I think that Hogwarts is where I belong. I've been dreaming of it since I first heard of it. And I didn't have any trouble talking to Harry. I didn't once think I what to say or what not to say. I felt like I.I don't know what I felt."  
"You felt like you two were all that mattered. You felt that when you were with him you could be yourself and he would accept you." She whispered.  
"Yea." I said.  
"Goodnight." She said.  
"Night." I said before falling asleep in the warm bed.  
~*~  
"Good morning sleepy head." Cat greeted me.  
"Morning. What time is it?" I asked as I helped my self to some of Cat's toast.  
"Almost noon." She replied.  
"Was yesterday a dream?" I asked.  
"Not unless we all had the same dream." Corrie said.  
"I'm going to take a shower anyone need to use the bathroom first?" I asked.  
"No." they all said.  
"Good." I said as I entered the small bathroom. The water was cold but I didn't mind, it felt good and it helped wake me up. About half an hour later I left the bathroom still dressed in my pajamas. "Has anyone seen my black capries?" I asked. Then I spied Harry waiting with a large black dog who could only be Sirius. I screamed.  
"What?" Corrie asked. "Oh." she said.  
"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" I asked as I walked back towards the bathroom.  
"You didn't ask." Corrie hissed. I glanced at Harry who was staring at the wall.  
"Here is your capries." Cat said as she shoved the black skirt into my hands. "And your violet tank."  
"Thanks a ton." I said before reentering the bathroom. Minutes later I was completely dressed. My hair was brushed smooth and I had to admit I looked good. "I hope you didn't wait to long."  
"No I just got here awhile ago." Harry said.  
"Why doesn't he change back?" I asked.  
"Dumbledore said he couldn't risk it." Harry explained.  
"Oh." I said, "Do you want to do something?"  
"I don't know." Harry said.  
"Come on it'll be fun. We could go to the park and just hang out all day." I suggested.  
"Don't you have anything to do with your friends?" he asked.  
"Well actually our plans are spur of the moment. We do what we want when we want so things are cool." I insisted. Harry didn't say anything I knew he was thinking of Cho though, "Harry forget about Cho. She still loves Cedric and nothing will change that."  
"What ever." Harry mumbled. He could still have hope, just like I could.  
"Trust me." I said, "I know the fifth book by heart. I aright I know the book really well, I did memorize the chapter where.Sirius don't forget that." I warned. "Any way I don't want her to hurt you like she did."  
"Aw.that's so cute." Cat whispered.  
"Hold on. I have to go murder my friends." I said. "Guys! Do I ever do this to you!"  
"Well no, but." Corrie began.  
"But what? I never do this to you so leave me alone."  
"Fine." Cat said.  
"Yea, we'll shut up." Corrie promised.  
"Thank you." I said, "Sorry about that. My friends can be such pains sometimes."  
"I can relate," Harry began.  
"But I thought you and your friends were tight." I said before I realized he wouldn't understand certain words I chose to use out of habit.  
"Tight?"  
"Sorry, it means close like family. At least that's what it meant in that sentence." I explained.  
"We are tight," he said it in such a way I giggled uncontrollably for the next three minutes. "But sometimes they just don't get it."  
"I feel the same. Come on lets go for a walk." I said again.  
"Ok. You want to come Sirius?" Sirius glanced form Harry and I to the girls then back to us. The girls meaning Cat, Corrie, and Erica grinned mischievously. Sirius barked.  
"I had a feeling you would say that." I said as I slipped into my black flip-flops. "Lets get. Guys stay cool with out me."  
~*~  
It was a bright day warm summer day. There was a slight breezed that made the day even more perfect.  
"Isn't it a nice day?" I asked Harry just so we could converse.  
"Yea, hey have you decided if you want to go?"  
"Go where? Oh, yea. I mean no I haven't decided. It's not that easy." I said.  
"I know what you mean. Well not really. But I think I can understand what you are going through."  
"It's super hard. I have to decide between my friends and family, basically my life before now, and the life I've dreamt of for years." I sighed. "Hey is you're godfather creeping you out to?" I glanced over my shoulder at Sirius who was acting more like an extremely happy dog than ever before.  
"He does get out much." Harry said.  
"Good point. So anyway I don't know what I am going to do. I guess I'll just wait to figure things out till I get my parents response." I said.  
"That's a good idea. You wouldn't want to get your hopes up." Harry said sadly I knew instantly that he was thinking of his own mother and father.  
"It's not fair is it, Harry?" I whispered.  
"What?"  
"Voldemort. What he does isn't fair. It's not right for him to kill. And it's not right for the Ministry to deny that he is back." I said.  
"Yea, but what proof have they got?" Harry whispered.  
"They've got your word and Dumbledore's," I began.  
"Dumbledore's word is nothing to the Ministry now." Harry said.  
"Why would he say that if it weren't true?" I asked Harry.  
"They are stupid for not believing. That will be their downfall." I said seriously, "How about we go get ice cream? My treat."  
"Okay." Harry agreed.  
"Coolio." I said excitedly. "You know where to go?"  
"Not a clue." Harry said.  
"The we will just have to walk around until we find a place. In the mean time what do you want to talk about?"  
"I don't know. Why did you decide to come here?" He asked.  
"Well me and my friends are super Harry Potter fans. Sounds weird doesn't it? We thought you were just a character in the best book series ever. Come to think of it we were bigger Sirius fans." Sirius barked. "Oh shut up, Snuffles. Not everyone loved you. Sarah prefers Lupin and Cat likes James."  
"You can understand him?" Harry asked. "I have five dogs at home. Thanks to them I can understand any dog by the way they bark, whimper, or growl. Sirius is no prob." I explained. "Harry, I should warn you that I am the kind of person who will say random things at random times. Like now. I hate Peter; before I found out that he was a traitor I gave my friend a Scabbers doll. When I read the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban I ripped its head off."  
"Cheerful tale." Harry said over Sirius's happy bark. From there on we walked and talked and even shared some laughs as young teens often do.  
"What a pleasant surprise." A bodiless voice cackled. "It seems you have met my great niece."  
"Voldemort." Harry breathed.  
"That's him? That's Voldemort." I whispered. What did he mean by great niece? "Harry? Harry are you alright?" I cried as Harry fell to the ground clutching his scar.  
"Get away." He said in a hoarse whisper.  
"No way." I said. "What did you mean by great niece?" I asked the voice.  
"Why you my dear. You are my great niece."  
"Yea right." I said fearlessly. "How could I be related to you? My grandma didn't have any brothers."  
"What about your grandfather?"  
"I don't know if he had any brothers." I whispered, was it possible that I was related to the greatest evil I knew of?  
"We are half brothers really. But that is not important. What is important is that you are coming with me."  
"Why do you want me?"  
"For the same reason Dumbledore wants you at Hogwarts. Because you have a powers greater than any witch or wizard before you." He bellowed. "Now come!"  
"I will not come!" I screamed but already could I feel his power drawing me away fro Harry. "I don't want to go with you. Now leave me ALONE!" then as suddenly as he appeared Voldemort's power disappeared. "Harry!"  
""I-I'm ok." He stuttered.  
"I'm so sorry." I cried. "I had no idea." Sirius growled at me. "I didn't know." I cried even harder. People passing stared at Harry and me.  
"I'm alright Snuffles. Leave her alone." Harry said to the dog.  
"Let's go." I said as I wiped the tears from my eyes, "I'm really sorry Harry."  
"It's ok." He said. "We have to tell Dumbledore about this." I started crying again. "It's ok." He repeated. "You're the lucky one."  
"What?" I asked.  
"I'm going to get in trouble for sneaking out, you on the other hand will just have to retell the story of what happened." Harry explained.  
"Y-you snuck out?" I whimpered.  
"Yea now come on." He said.  
"Ok." I followed him in silence to the bus stop. We waited five minutes in silence for the bus to come. When we were on the bus I didn't say anything again. Tears were so close and I didn't want to start crying again.  
"You okay?" Harry asked as he got off the bus and began to walk down the street towards Grimmuald Place.  
"Yea, I'm fine." I lied. In truth I was very afraid. Voldemort want me to join him. What would he do if I continued to deny him? I wasn't afraid for myself, he needed me, but for my friends and family.  
"You sure?" he asked I nodded. It was the most I could do to hide the tears.  
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley said as she answered the door. "Where have you been you've had us all worried? Half the order is out there looking for you!" she scolded.  
"Sorry." He mumbled.  
"Oh, dear. What's wrong?" Mrs. Weasley. I tried to speak but started crying instead.  
"We ran into Voldemort and she blames herself." Harry explained.  
"Because it is my fault." I cried.  
"Why do you say that dear?" she asked.  
"Harry where have you been?" Lupin asked. "And who is this."  
"This is Nikki the girl I met yesterday, and today I went out with her." Harry said.  
"They ran into You-know-who." Mrs. Weasley said.  
"You did! Are you both alright?" he asked in a worried way.  
"Yes we are fine." Harry answered.  
"I'm sorry." I repeated.  
"Sorry about what?" Lupin asked.  
"He was after me." I whimpered. "Turns out I'm his great niece. And he wants me to join him."  
"But I thought that you didn't have any connection." Mrs. Weasley said to her self.  
"I thought so too." I cried.  
"We should tell Dumbledore." Sirius said sorrowfully, no doubt he was thinking of what everyone would say when they realize he was the one who let Harry go.  
"Yes, Remus could you." Mrs. Weasley said obviously shook up.  
"What is it?" the head in the fire asked.  
"Go on dear tell him what happened." Mrs. Weasley said. I told the story of our encounter. He waited patiently as I spoke.  
"What's going to happen?" I asked. My voice surprised me, it sounded so weak and unfamiliar. Like that of a young child.  
"Well for one you are not to go anywhere on your own, meaning with out a member of the order with you. Sirius could she stay here until school starts?"  
"Yes." Sirius said.  
"Good, Remus I want you to escort her to the apartment to where she is staying. Gather your things and return here as soon as possible. I will send your parents a letter explaining the situation. You're friend is to come here as well."  
"But what if they don't believe you." I whispered.  
"They will have to believe me." Dumbledore said. "You and Miss. Hardin are also to attended Hogwarts. I don't want Voldemort to get to either of you."  
"But what if our parents don't want us to go?" I asked before realizing that I should have kept my mouth shut.  
"Hogwarts is the only place where we can assure your safety." He said.  
"What about my sisters?" I asked.  
"Voldemort does not seem to be interested in them but if he shows interest then you wont need to worry." He assured me.  
"Okay." I said.  
"I have to go now, contact me if something else happens." He said before vanishing as before.  
"Lets go." Lupin told me.  
"Kay." I said before following him out of the house. About forty-five minutes later I entered the small apartment with Remus Lupin behind me.  
"So what happened?" Cat asked. "Where's Harry? And what is he doing here?"  
"Ohmigod!" Sarah squealed, "Y-you're Remus. Corrie that's Remus."  
"Shut it!" I snapped.  
"What happened?" Corrie asked seriously. She seemed to be the only one who noticed Lupin's grave expression and my tear stained face. I retold my story now with the addition of what Dumbledore had said.  
"I really don't believe this." Corrie said when I finished my story.  
"I don't want to believe it but I have to. You have to come back with us." I whimpered.  
"Get your things." Lupin ordered.  
"We'll help." Cat said.  
"Yea." Daniel agreed. Together we entered my room and began to collect my few belongings after wards we did the same with Corrie's stuff.  
"I'm going to miss you guys so much." I cried as I gave them each a hug.  
"We are going to miss you too." Diane said.  
"Sarah watch out for Megan okay." I said.  
"Why? I thought Voldemort was only after you?" Sarah said.  
"He may be after you guys too." I said. "I'll send each one of you an owl a day, promise."  
"We have to go." Lupin said as he picked up one of my bags.  
"Bye." I said.  
"Don't forget us." Cat said.  
"Never." I cried.  
"Bye." They all called out. Tears streamed down my face as I walked out of the hotel. I hated goodbyes. Was that the last time I would get to see any of them? I hope not. Goodbyes aren't forever, someone once said. Well for me they are. I thought crossly.  
~*~  
During our trip back to the House of Black the sky turned dark and rain fell down from the heavens.  
"When does school start?" I asked Lupin through my tears.  
"About two or three weeks from now." He replied. "You'll see them again."  
"I can only hope." I said. Finally the tears stopped. I had to stay strong. I am going to become stronger so in a few years I will be able to protect all of them. The bus ride was longer due to the rain but in about an hour we reached the dirty house.  
"This is your room." Lupin said.  
"What?" I asked I was so lost in thought I hadn't realized we had entered the house.  
"This is your room," he repeated. "You can do what ever for now. Molly will come up to get you when dinner is done."  
"Okay." I said emotionlessly as I looked around the room. It was mostly clean apart from the spiders in the corner. No sooner had I finished putting my clothes in the old dresser did a young girl with long red hair enter my room followed by Corrie. "Hello."  
"Hi, I'm Ginny. Mom said I ought to come up an introduce myself cause you'd be wanting some friends after leaving yours behind." She said.  
"It's no like I had a choice." I said.  
"Good point. Are you really You-know-whose niece?" Ginny asked with a look of fear and interest upon her face.  
"Great niece." I corrected.  
"Oh, my bad." She said.  
"How are you doing?" Corrie asked.  
"I'm still living, and Voldemort hasn't got me so things are cool." I said.  
"Hey, Nikki." Harry said as he entered the room.  
"Hi." I said  
"He likes you." Ginny mouthed to me.  
"So what's up?" I said to Harry.  
"Nothing much." He said.  
"Nothing much is hardly a reason to come and see someone." I said. A single tear slid down my face as I thought of how Cat would tease me about flirting with Harry.  
"Well give me a minute and I'll come up with a reason." Harry said.  
"I'll leave you two alone, come on Corrie." Ginny said.  
"Hello." Ron said.  
"Hi. Did your mom tell you to come up and introduce yourself too?" I asked.  
"No, but she told me to." Hermione said as she followed Ron into the room.  
"I just wanted to meat the girl Harry likes. Oops. Sorry Harry." Ron hit himself on his head as Harry and I blushed.  
"Second thought lets just stay here. They can't have alone time with Ron and Hermione here." Ginny said.  
"Yea. Any way you probably already know who we are." Hermione said.  
"Yea." I admitted. "What's Hogwarts like?" I asked them as I stretched out on the bed. I closed my eyes as they described the long stone corridors and the different houses and all the different people there.  
"Snape is the worst teacher there. He's always looking for an excuse to take points from Griffindore." Harry said.  
"I kind of like him." I said.  
"You like him?" Corrie asked.  
"More of pity him actually."  
"You wont like him once you meet him." Harry said.  
"I don't know. I suppose it is possible for me to like him less. After all my opinions of everyone changed after I met them." I explained.  
"How are you doing dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked me.  
"I'm fine, thank you." I said.  
"Well if you want dinner is ready." She said.  
"Okay. we'll be down in a minute." I said. My first dinner at the House of Black was very uneventful. Apart from Sirius giving me suspicious looks nothing much happened until Harry got fed up with Sirius's behavior.  
"Do you have to do that?" he asked.  
"Do what?" Sirius asked.  
"You keep looking at her like she is going to attack us all any second." Harry said.  
"It's alright Harry. Sirius has a right to not trust me. If I were him I wouldn't trust me." I said.  
"I don't think you did anything wrong." Harry said.  
"Well maybe you just don't realize that what happened earlier looks a lot like a trap." I said.  
"A trap." Harry repeated.  
"Yes, it looked as if Voldemort was using me to get to you." I explained.  
"But then why would he try to take you?" Harry asked.  
"To trick you into trusting me. Everyone here knows the possibilities but you and it's about time you realized them. I'm going to my room." I said pushing away the bowl of soup before me. "Harry it may be best for you to stay away from me." I warned. I left the room only to hear Harry get up to go after me only to be stopped by Sirius.  
"I think she is right Harry. It may be dangerous for both of you to be with each other." He said.  
"Whatever." Harry said and for the first time he didn't take his godfather's advice. "Nikki, wait up." He called to me as I ran through the corridor to my room.  
"Leave me alone!" I screamed at Harry before slamming the door in his face and running to my bed to cry about how unfair my life was becoming.  
"Nikki!" I shouted as he pounded on the wooden door.  
"I said leave me alone!" I screamed through the open door.  
"Nikki," Harry sighed.  
"Harry, please." I cried, "Please just go." He left. Not immediately but after I started to ignore him he left.  
"Hey Nicole, open up. It's Corrie." Corrie said.  
"What's up?" I said after opening the door.  
"I heard you and Harry fighting." Corrie said.  
"Do we have to talk about this?" I asked as I held back fresh tears.  
"Nicole. You have to here this from someone, and you wont listen to Harry." Corrie said. "Nick, Harry really likes you."  
"I really like him to, but."  
"He doesn't care if it's dangerous for you two to be together."  
"But I do. Corrie I don't want to see him get hurt." I cried.  
"Nick, he's Harry Potter. I don't think you can stop him from getting hurt."  
"I don't want to risk it."  
"Nicole you met him yesterday and he is already willing to do anything for you. He really likes you."  
"I know."  
"You know you talk a lot about not wanting to hurt him when you're hurting him more than Voldemort ever could."  
"Corrie,"  
"Talk to him."  
"I."  
"Nicole, just talk to him. That's all he needs."  
"Fine."  
~*~  
"I'm going to Diagon Alley to get everyone's school supplies tomorrow. You two will have to come with me to get your wands." Mrs. Weasley said as she passed me a bowl of stew.  
"Okay." I sighed.  
~*~  
"Wake up dear." Mrs. Weasley said as she gently knocked on the door.  
"What? Oh, yea. Just a minute." I said.  
"Come down to the kitchen for breakfast." Mrs. Weasley instructed.  
"Okay." I said as I dragged a brush through my shoulder length hair. I exited the room wearing my army princess pajama bottoms and matching top.  
"Hey Nikki." Someone said behind me.  
"Hey," I automatically replied. Somehow I had managed to avoid him all day yesterday. I was just to scared to talk to him. "Oh, Harry."  
"Glad to see you." He said with genuine happiness.  
"Yea," I said. "Listen Harry. I really like you but like I said before Voldemort might be using me to get to you."  
"I don't care." Harry said arrogantly, "I've fought him before and nothing happened."  
"Harry I really don't want to put you in any danger." I said.  
"You wont."  
"Voldemort is getting stronger."  
"So am I."  
"Harry,"  
"Nikki,"  
"Please don't."  
"I can't help how I feel."  
"I don't want to feel this way about you."  
"Why?"  
"I just met you a few days ago."  
"So?"  
"So, it's just to soon."  
"Nikki."  
"We are just two foolish teens,"  
"Only fools fall in love." I cried. How could I not love him? I was to scared, to scared to have my heart broken again.  
"Harry, please don't break my heart."  
"How could I?"  
"Harry." I sighed. Not a sad sigh but a happy love filled one. We walked together to the kitchen hand in hand.  
"Morning Harry, Nikki." Mrs. Weasley began. "Glad to see you two happy again."  
"I thought you two were." Sirius began.  
"Don't sound so sad." Harry said.  
"Can't you be happy for Harry?" I asked.  
"I never said I wasn't happy for him. It's just like you said I have a right to be suspicious." He said casually.  
"I'm glad you two are together." Corrie said as she helped her self to toast.  
"What would you like?" Mrs. Weasley asked me.  
"Actually right now I'm not hungry." I said truthfully.  
"You ought to eat something." She insisted.  
"No thank you." I said. "Can Harry come with us to Diagon Alley?" Harry and I looked hopefully at Mrs. Weasley.  
"I don't know." She said.  
"I need to get some new robes any way mine are to short." Harry lied.  
"Well I suppose, but only if someone else will volunteer to come with us." She said.  
"Lupin could go." I said.  
"No, tonight is a full moon."  
"Oh," I sighed.  
"Hello," some one said as they entered the room.  
"Hello Tonks." Harry said.  
"Hi Harry. You must be Nikki. Harry told me about you yesterday. Love your hair."  
"Thanks, I love yours to. I wish I could pull of that look." I said politely.  
"Tonks, you want to come with us to Diagon Alley?" Harry asked.  
"Sure, why not." Tonks said. "I haven't got much else to do."  
"Thanks a ton, Tonks." I said gratefully.  
"Sure, whatever." She said as she ran a hand through her short spiky, bubblegum pink hair.  
"That reminds me." Harry said all of a sudden, "Hedwig got back with your parents response last night." Harry handed me a piece of notebook paper.  
Nicole,  
Go to Hogwarts? Very funny. Where did you get the owl? Don't  
think we'll let you keep it.  
Love,  
Mom & Dad  
"To bad they don't want me to go." I sighed.  
"Technically they never said you couldn't go." Corrie pointed out.  
"True, not that they have a say in the matter. For more than one reasons." I said.  
"What?" Tonks asked.  
"Well one: Dumbledore says me and Corrie have to go to Hogwarts and I would not want to get him mad, and two: honestly I'm scared to death of what Voldemort could to me or my friends and family to get me to join his side. Hogwarts would be the safest place for me." I explained.  
"I really don't care what my parents say. I'm going to Hogwarts." Corrie said.  
"Yea, you're going to Hogwarts not Hogsmeade but definitely Hogwarts." I joked.  
"Can you say invisibility cloak?" Corrie asked.  
"Can you say mine?" Harry said.  
"I can." I joked.  
"Could I possibly borrow it?" Corrie asked, "You wont be needing it."  
"Trust her," I began.  
"We know this stuff." Corrie said.  
"By heart, isn't it strange to have two friends who know your life by heart." I asked Harry.  
"Very strange." He replied.  
"Come on Corrie, you are going to help me pick out something to wear." I said as I grabbed Corrie's wrist.  
"Um.eating." She said.  
"Don't care, come on. See you about an hour Harry." I said as I waved bye to Harry and dragged Corrie out of the room toast and all. Once in my room we search through all of my clothes looking for the perfect outfit to where to Diagon Alley. "I want something that says I'm cool but not I went out of my way to look cool." I said aloud.  
"But you are going out of your way to look cool." Corrie sighed.  
"I know that and you know that but know one else knows that." I said as I glanced at a white tank that said 'I'm the best live with it, or not' written across the front with a picture of a black kitten with devil horns.  
"How about that with your black denim jeans?" Corrie suggested.  
"Perfect. I'm going to go change." I said as I grabbed the clothes. With the totally cute outfit I selected about twenty black, purple, and navy blue bracelets. "So?"  
"Great, while you were changing I decided to borrow some of your stuff." Corrie said as she held up my flared jeans, my cutest tennis shoes, and my sky blue spaghetti strap tank.  
"Cool." I said.  
~*~  
Diagon Alley was the most magical place I had ever been. No pun intended. The shops that lined the street were exactly as I imagined them.  
"This is so cool." I said.  
"I know." Corrie said with equal excitement.  
"I'll go get your books." Mrs. Weasley said when we reached Flourish and Blotts, "Tonks take Harry and the girls to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions."  
"Right." Tonks said as she began to walk off towards the store.  
"Wait." Mrs. Weasley called out.  
"What?" I asked.  
"Don't forget you girls need to get dress robes as well as school ones." She reminded us.  
"I totally forgot about dances." I giggled. "Homecoming eat your heart out."  
"But the book didn't mention any dances." Corrie pointed out.  
"Well maybe there are some unmentioned ones." I said optimistically.  
"Who are your friends Potter?" Draco Malfoy asked with feigned interest.  
"I'm Nikki Albert, and this is Corrie Harden. You must be Ferret Boy." I grinned.  
"Evil." Corrie hissed, "Harry was just telling us about the time that Mad-Eye turned you into a ferret." Corrie laughed.  
"Bounced quite nicely didn't he?" I asked Harry.  
"Sure did." Harry said with a sideways glance at Malfoy who had on the mascara of a person who didn't care about the comments we made but we knew the truth. The pain of the memory of bouncing around as a little white rodent was still fresh in his mind.  
"You two are a bunch of mudbloods aren't you?" he sneered.  
"Mudbloods?" I asked. "Did he just call us mudbloods?"  
"I'm afraid he did." Corrie said menacingly, Malfoy realized almost immediately that he had made a dangerous mistake by calling us mudbloods.  
"He's dead." I said calmly, which in a way is far scarier than screaming, "I'm going to kill him."  
"The question at hand however," Corrie began, "is how."  
"Slow and painful." I began.  
"Or quick and painless." Corrie finished.  
"Slow and painful." We said t the same time as we slowly advanced on Malfoy. He looked petrified. Perfection. I grinned, how had I become so violent. Oh well in times like this I loved my violent side.  
"Girls." Tonks said. "Not that this boy doesn't deserve a nice beating, but we need to get your things."  
"Aww." I cried. "I wanted to murder him."  
"Murder is such a harsh word I prefer brutally killing." Corrie said.  
"That's not much better." I pointed out. "Hey I never said you could leave!" I screamed to Malfoy who had run off while I was distracted. "You just wait till school starts!"  
"What are you going to do once school starts?" Harry asked.  
"Draco Malfoy, pureblood son to Lucious Malfoy runs screaming from two mudblood girls after confrontation in Diagon Alley." I said as if I was reading an article in a newspaper.  
"I love the way your mind works." Harry said as we entered the small shop.  
"Alright what do you need?" the woman who greeted them asked.  
"All three need new school and dress robes." Tonks said.  
"This is so much fun." I whispered to Corrie as the woman took our measurements for the robes.  
"First years?" she asked.  
"No, well sort of. Technically it is our first year but we are supposed to be in our fifth year. We got started a bit late." I tried to explain.  
"That's more than a bit late." She said. "What color do you want your dress robes to be?"  
"I don't know." I said mostly to myself, "What do you think?"  
"I think a darker color would go well with your eyes as well as your hair."  
"How about midnight blue?" I asked.  
"That color would be perfect on you." She said. It made me wonder, was she paid to say things like that?  
"What color would you like?" she asked Corrie.  
"Royal blue." Corrie answered at once.  
"We'll I'm done with everything for now. Just come by later and I'll have your robes ready.  
"Thank you." I said politely before following every one out.  
"Lets go get your wands now." Tonks said.  
"Coolio." I said gleefully.  
"Ditto." Corrie said as we walked into the shop with dusty shelves filled with long narrow boxes that could only be the wands.  
"Hello." Said the petite man who ran the shop.  
"Halo." I said.  
"Really?" he said glancing at the kitten on my shirt.  
"It's the way I say hi." I explained.  
"I figured as much. You two will be needing wands I presume?"  
"Yes." Corrie said.  
"Well you first then." he said to Corrie. "Try this. Eleven inch willow, with a unicorns hair core." Corrie took the slender wand from him and waved it in the air. Blue and gold sparks shot into the air. "Alright your turn."  
"Goodie." I said.  
"Seven inch, ash, also with a core of unicorns hair." I gave the wand a wave, nothing happened.  
"Twelve inch, rosewood, core of powdered unicorns horn." I waved the second wand. At first I thought nothing had happened. But seconds later something that appeared to be multi colored fireworks erupted from the tip of the wand filling the darkest corners of the tiny shop with light.  
"Cool," I gasped.  
"Interesting." He muttered as the light faded.  
"What?" I asked, "What is so interesting." "The unicorns from which the cores of your wands are made are one in the same." He explained. "You must have a very strong connection." "Best friends for life, right Corrie?" "Right." She agreed. "You two must have something more in common than friendship." He said mysteriously. "Can we go?" Tonks asked nervously. "This guy always gives me the creeps." "Sure." I said, but Tonks didn't hear me because she was already outside. "There you are." Mrs. Weasley said as she walked over to us struggling to carry the large amount of books. "Need any help?" I asked as I took two bags from her. "Thank you dear." Mrs. Weasley said. "Now all we need is parchment quills, two cauldrons." Mrs. Weasley read off from the school lists.  
~*~  
"I am so exhausted." I said when we got back to number 12 Grimmuald Place.  
"That was so cool." Corrie said again.  
"The whole wand deal was freaky." I pointed out.  
"Yea." Corrie agreed.  
"Oh well." I said in only a way I could.  
"School starts tomorrow so I want you to get plenty of sleep." Mrs. Weasley said.  
"I don't think I'll get a wink of sleep," I said to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Corrie as we packed that night.  
"To nervous?" Corrie asked.  
"About what house I'll get in." I said.  
"Slytherin." Corrie teased.  
"I would just die if I got into Slytherin and not in a good way." I said hotly.  
"Just teasing." Corrie said, "You'll probably get into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."  
"Don't I have to be smart to get in to Ravenclaw?" I asked.  
"Good point," Corrie said as we all laughed.  
"And on a serious (Sirius! Goes chibi and runs around screaming like a stupid fan girl) note I don't think I am brave enough for Gryffindor." At this Harry laughed.  
"Not brave enough?" he said.  
"Yea."  
"You stood up to Voldemort all on your own." Hermione explained.  
"That's called stupidity not bravery." I shivered. The memory of that day was fresh. How had I stood up to Voldemort knowing what he could do to my family or me?  
"I don't think so." Ron said.  
"Ok so maybe I was a little brave. But mostly stupid." I admitted. "You know it's getting late I'm going to go to sleep. Bye, bye." I said as I ushered them out of my room. I quickly finished packing before jumping on to the bed. Despite my nerves I fell asleep dreams of the sorting filled my head.  
~*~  
"Albert, Nicole." Professor McGonagall said. I automatically walked up to the stool and placed to sorting hat upon my head. Strange. Said the voice inside my head. "What?" I asked it. You have the qualities of a true Gryffindor and Slytherin. "Where do I go?" I asked myself more than the decrepit old hat. If you go to Slytherin you could achieve great power, far stronger than you would have ever dreamed of. "But that's what he wants." I realized, "He wants me to become even stronger. That's why he let me go." But Gryffindor is where your loyalty lies. "I cant go to Slytherin." I proclaimed. Then Gryffindor it is! An eruption of applause began immediately after the hat screamed Gryffindor to all who could hear. I let out a sigh of relief as I headed to the Gryffindor table. "Congrats." Ron said as I sat down next to him. "Yea," said Harry who sat across from me. "Yea, uh huh." I said as I thought of the short conversation I had with the sorting hat. "What's up?" Harry asked. "Nothing. No it is something, I'll tell you later." I said as I waited for Corrie's name to be called. I didn't have to wait long before. "Hardin, Corrie." I held my breath for what seemed an eternity before the sorting hat shouted Gryffindor to the crowd. I once again let out a sigh of relief. "Hey Corrie I need to talk to you later." I said casually. "What's up?" she asked as Umbridge began her speech. "Not now." I hissed as she glared at us. Whatever. I thought. You just keep talking and we'll see how well you can handle change. I was going to have so much fun making her life a living he double hockey sticks, or to put it simply hell. "Yawn." "A total bore fest." "Meaning she just want to slow pick apart the school starting from the inside." I said. "What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "I mean the Hogwarts High Inquisitor up there is going to be a royal pain to everything that is Hogwarts." I said as I glanced at the example of a transfiguration class gone horribly wrong. "Nick don't go blabbing everything. Like you said something could happen cause we tell everyone what's going to happen." Corrie warned. "Listen I have this theory on what's going on here." I whispered. "What?" "Well I think that whatever we do is already part of the book." I explained. "So you think that Snuffles will still.well you know?" Corrie asked. "Well yea. Unless my theory is wrong." I sighed. "It has to be wrong though," Corrie began, "Because we would have already been in the book then. But we weren't." "Yea, I know. I'm going to read the first couple of chapters tonight to see if there are any changes." I whispered. "Good idea." "Hey will you go with me to the Owlery after we talk. By the way I also want to talk to Dumbledore. Any way will you come?" I asked. "Sure, sending an owl to your parents?" "Yea." I sighed as I silently prayed for their safety. "You guys coming?" Harry asked. I realized that mostly everyone had left the great hall. "Oh yea." I said I stood. "Hey, Hermione what's the password?" Corrie asked. Hermione whispered the password to Corrie. "Any way." I whispered to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Corrie, "I found out why you-know-who let me go." "Why?" Harry asked aloud. "Quite!" I snapped, "He wants me to be stronger before I join him." "Makes sense." Hermione said. "I'm going to talk to Dumbledore about it." I said. "See ya." I began to walk away from the crowd. "Second thought why don't you show us how to get there." I said t Harry. "I was waiting for you to say that." Harry said. We walked in partial silence the whole way. "Corrie, do you remember the password?" I asked Corrie as we turned yet another corner. "Fizzing Whizbee." Corrie said. "Coolio." I said. "Here we are." Harry said. "Fizzing Whizbee." I said to the statue. The statue moved aside and he ascended to spiraling stairs. "Good you're here." "Yes?" "I found out why Voldemort let me go." I said. "Really?" he said as if he knew. "If you know than say so." I ordered. "Nicole, shut up" Corrie hissed. "What? His act is bugging me." I said innocently. "I assure you that I have no idea why Voldemort let you escape when he could have taken you back then." "Whatever." I sighed. "He wanted to wait until I was even stronger to get me to join up with him." "I see." He said. "Whatever," I repeated. I brushed my hand through my hair, "You know it's not nice to keep secrets." "Ignorance is bliss." "And the truth shall set you free." I countered. "Let's go. Think about what I said." "Girl you got an attitude problem. That was the headmaster." Corrie said. "I know. But he was buggin' me." I said. "Now come on I have a super long book to read and we still have to hit the Owlery." "This way." Harry said.  
~*~  
"It's not a lie!" I screamed at the toad of a teacher.  
"Sit down and be quite. Both of you." She ordered Harry and I.  
"I will not take this from you. you toad." I said half the class gasped, and the other half didn't know whether to cheer me on or keep quite.  
"Toad!?" she shouted in anger.  
"I'm only telling the truth. like Harry was before." I hissed.  
"Both of you. I want you both out of my classroom this instant. Take this to the head of your house." She handed me a slip of parchment.  
"Why thank you from sparing me from the torture of this so called Defense Against the Dark Arts class." I said as I grabbed my things and stormed out of the room. Harry followed close behind. He to had had enough of that bogus class.  
"Do you know what the note says?" Harry asked me.  
"Yea. Basically it says that we are delinquents who disrupted her class with lies about Voldemort coming back. And that we'll have a week of detention." I said nonchalantly.  
"Not bad." Harry said.  
"You just wait till Angelina finds out." I laughed.  
"Why?"  
"Oh you'll see. I think we're here."  
~*~  
"Alright we're here let the boredom commence." I sighed as I walked into Umbridge's office  
"You'll have to write 'I will not tell lies'. Get started."  
"Duh and whatever." I picked up the quill and pressed it hard to the paper. "Ow!" I shrieked.  
"Oh, poor dear does it hurt?" Umbridge asked.  
"No, I got a cramp." Harry worked hard to hold back his laughter. I began writing the lines without even flinching. Though even Harry occasionally winced in pain.  
"Well that seems to be enough for tonight." Umbridge said as she glanced at the words that cut into our flesh. She looked at my hand longer, like it would tell her why I didn't cry out in pain. She gasped as she realized that the cuts in my hand were deeper than those in Harry's.  
"Come on Harry, the toad said we could go so lets do so. That was the most boring detention I've ever had and I've been muggle detention." We walked out of the classroom meaning to leave, "Wait," I said suddenly, "You might like to know why I'm not hurt."  
"Possibly." She said as if she didn't care. I pulled up my sleeve and showed her the long scares that ran up and down my left arm.  
"I'm a cutter so you'll have to come up with something a bit more creative to get through to me." I snapped. "Your games wont scare me. Lets go." I walked away from the ugliest room I had ever been in feeling superior.  
"Are you really a cutter?" Harry asked.  
"I'm not proud of it." I sighed feeling slightly worse. Unintentionally I traced the scars through the fabric. "I just used to feel so mad at my self that I thought I had to do something to myself as a punishment."  
"So you cut yourself?" Harry asked.  
"Not at first." I sighed. "In the beginning I would claw myself till I bled, then I realized that I could use a tool to cut myself. You know I don't really want to talk about this."  
"Sorry."  
"No big."  
~*~  
"Morning." I said cheerfully to Corrie when we met in the common room before heading to the great hall for breakfast.  
"How was detention?"  
"Dead boring. You know she had us writing 'I will not tell lies'. Hi guys, get your essay for Professor Binns's done?"  
"Sort of." Harry sleepily muttered.  
"Same here." I laughed.  
"You seem happy today." Ron yawned.  
"That's because I am." I said.  
"And why is that?" Corrie asked.  
"No D.A.D.A. today." I said.  
"Dada?" Ron asked.  
"Not dada, Defense Against the Dark Arts." I corrected.  
"That is a reason to be happy." Harry said. "Still got detention though."  
"No big. Think I might skip." I said carelessly.  
"Nicole! I can't believe this is you talking." Corrie exclaimed.  
"Well it is me. The real me." I said, "I can't skip though cause then she'd go harder on you, Harry."  
~*~  
The morning after the next the owls swooped into the Great Hall as usual with the mail. I was slightly shocked when a tiny owl landed next to the great owl carrying a response from my parents.  
"That looks like Pig." Ron said. It was true the minute owl looked exactly like Pig.  
"This owl has a letter from my parents." I exclaimed.  
"I got one from mine too." Corrie said.  
Dear Nicole,  
Professor Dumbledore has spoken with us about how Voldemort had  
attacked you. Please be careful. We have gone over all of the  
Harry Potter books so we know basically what is going on at your  
school. We know about the O.W.L.S. so study hard. Speaking of  
owls the little one is for you. Sarah and Megan picked her out.  
Her name is Tweet.  
Love,  
Mom & Dad  
"The owl is for me." I said happily.  
"Lucky, the letter from my parents is nothing but scolding. 'How dare you go off to that school without our permission?' and 'I want you back here as soon as possible! Don't make us come get you!'" Corrie read from the letter.  
"'Ello Tweet." I cooed to the tiny bird that hooted merrily in response.  
~*~  
"Hey Nikki wait up." Harry yelled to me in the halls as I made my way to Potions.  
"What's up?" I asked. Harry glanced at the girl I was with. Cho.  
"You want to do something this weekend?" He asked after a moment.  
"I don't think I have time but I'll see if I get out of work on Sunday. Is that ok?"  
"Sure, uh...what do you mean by work?"  
"Didn't Nikki tell you? She and Corrie have a gig at Three Broomsticks." Cho answered for me. I tried hard to ignore the slightly sad sound of her voice.  
"You do?"  
"Yea, me and Corrie spoke with the manager on the last trip to Hogsmeade and she wants us to perform this weekend." I explained.  
"They sound great." Cho said, "Why don't you give Harry a preview?"  
"Oh. no thanks." I said as I glanced at the people who surrounded us waiting to get into the classroom.  
"Oh come on." Harry begged.  
"Fine." I said. "Dream on little baby, of darkness so dear, dream innocent dreams of evil and fear. Boy don't go hiding, from the darkness and the fear, boy don't go hiding, from what you know is real. So stand up to the darkness and fight, fight for what you know is right. Fight the darkness deep inside you."  
"That was great Nikki." Harry gasped. Several of the students surrounding us applauded me, even some Slytherins.  
"You sounded way better this time." Cho said.  
"Thanks." I blushed, "I call it reinforcement through music. If you know what I mean."  
"I get it." Harry said.  
"I know. Hey I'll be performing at Three Broomsticks this Sunday." I shouted to those who had applauded.  
"Snape is back." Corrie said as Snape pushed through the crowd that had gathered around the entrance to his dungeon like classroom.  
"I like this class." I admitted as I sat down next to Hermione.  
"You do?" Harry asked.  
"Yea, making potions interests me." I said as I began to prepare my ingredients.  
"You mean making poisons." Corrie teased.  
"There are perks." I said. The hour quickly passed with several incidents where Snape almost caught us talking. By the end of the class I had completed the potion perfectly. Snape looked for something to criticize but found nothing and moved on.  
"No wonder you like that class." Hermione said as we exited the room, "I saw Snape when he was writing your score. You got top marks."  
"Coolio." I said.  
~*~  
"Wish me luck?" I said to Harry moments before I went on with Corrie. Three Broomsticks was crowded, more so than usual. The word of our talent had spread throughout the school so many students as well as teachers filled the building.  
"Good luck." He said before walking off to take his seat next to Ron and Hermione. I nervously played with the frayed ends of the tattered robe I was wearing. Corrie and I had decided what to wear while performing only yesterday. I was the tragic member of our duet so I wore a tattered old robe with numerous holes in various places over a short black skirt and violet halter-top. Corrie who was the angel wore robes so white the almost seemed to glow over a long flowing white skirt and a pale pink colored shirt.  
"We can do this." I said with newly found confidence.  
"I know." Corrie said as we were introduced. She led the way on to the stage. The music started. It was slow and quiet I quickly found the beat and began the slow sinuous dance that I had come up with the week before.  
"The evil is growing inside of my soul." I sang. The song continued growing louder when Corrie sang of fighting the evil within then softer when I sang of no longer being strong enough to fight the evil. When the song ended the crowd applauded and several people in front asked for autographs. "Wait until the end of the show." I instructed them. The crowd settled down after the next song began. It was the song I had sung for Harry. To me the song sounded better than ever before. About an hour later our show was done.  
"You two were great." A girl said to Corrie and me after the show.  
"Thanks." Corrie said.  
"My Dad is the Weird Sisters manager. If you want I could tell him about you." She said casually.  
"No way." I gasped.  
"Way," she said as she brushed back a lock of golden blond hair. "My dad is always on the lookout for fresh talent. Plus I get a bit of pocket money for finding someone good."  
"Coolio major." I said as I signed an autograph for a little girl with auburn hair up in pigtails.  
"I don't think Dumbledore would let us though." Corrie said in a hushed tone so that only I could hear her.  
"Yea," I whispered back, "We'll have to take some time to discuss this. We'll get back to you ok?"  
"What ever," she muttered.  
"Hey Nikki, Corrie." Harry said as he, Ron, Hermione, and Cho pushed their way through the crowd. "You guys were great."  
"Yea," Ron agreed.  
"Why don't we all celebrate the success of the show." I suggested.  
"I cant," Harry said.  
"Why not?" I asked not bothering to hide the sadness in my voice.  
"I have to go see Snuffles." Harry said.  
"Snuffles?" Cho asked.  
"Snuffles is here?" I asked.  
"Who is Snuffles?" Cho asked.  
"Snuffles is my dog." Corrie lied.  
"Why does Harry have to go see your dog?"  
"He meant we have to go see him." Corrie covered.  
"And we includes me." I said.  
"Me too." Ron and Hermione said together.  
"Well can I come?" Cho asked.  
"No!" We all said to together.  
"Whatever." She said.  
"What we mean is Snuffles doesn't like strangers. He's really mean." I explained.  
"Yea," Corrie agreed. "The first time he met Harry.well lets just say it was not pretty."  
"There was blood involved the first time I met Snuffles." I lied.  
"Vicious," Ron said.  
"I'm not stupid!" Cho exclaimed.  
"Cho," I began.'  
"I can tell you guys don't want me around."  
"No Cho that's not it. I swear." I cried, "You're my friend I wouldn't try to ditch you."  
"Good bye."  
"Aw Cho come on." I cried.  
"Lets go." Harry said, "We can't leave Snuffles waiting."  
"Yea I guess." I sighed, "This is perfect, I'm going to feel bad about Cho for the rest of the day."  
"Look on the bright side." Corrie said.  
"What?" I asked.  
"We get to see Snuffles." She giggled.  
"That's not a good side that's a worse side." I cried. "He shouldn't be here."  
"Yea." Corrie said. "We still get to see him though."  
"Not that seeing him would make me feel any better." I sighed, "He doesn't like me one bit."  
"Maybe Snuffles really doesn't get along well with strangers." Corrie said.  
"There he is." Harry said. He pointed to a large black dog lounging outside a small cave.  
"You shouldn't be here." I scolded. Sirius growled in response. "Oh shut it." I snapped.  
"She's right." Harry said, "You shouldn't be here."  
"It's alright, you're the only one who knows I'm here." Sirius said once he had taken on his human form.  
"The Death Eaters know you area an animagus. If you go any were other than this cave they'll find you." I protested.  
"I don't think thing are that bad." Sirius said arrogantly.  
"You arrogant pig." I snapped. "You ought to take things more seriously."  
"Why so I don't die like you say I will?" he snapped.  
"Duh," I said.  
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.  
"She says I'll die in the Department of Mysteries this year. But she doesn't have any proof apart from he word." Sirius said.  
"Well if you chose to believe it I could read to you the passage in which you. temporarily leave." I said.  
"Changing your story." Sirius said.  
"That's not it." Corrie said for me. "Nicole has never been able to say that you died. She's been in denial ever since she read the book."  
"Corrie I didn't want them to know that." I cried, "So would you like to hear the passage."  
"Yes." Harry answered before Sirius could speak.  
"Very well then." I said as I pulled the book out of my bag.  
"Why do you have that with you?" Corrie asked.  
"I brought it for some light reading before the show." I said.  
"Light reading?" I heard Ron mutter.  
"Only one couple were still battling," I read, "apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: He was laughing at her. 'Come on you can do better than that!' he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.  
The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.  
The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.  
Harry released Neville, thought unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too.  
It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arch as he sank backwards through the ragged veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in high wind and then fell back into place.  
Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but he knew it meant nothing--- Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second.  
But Sirius did not reappear.  
'SIRIUS!' Harry yelled, 'SIRIUS!'  
He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry would pull him back out again.  
But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back.  
'There's nothing you can do Harry---'  
'Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!'  
'It's too late, Harry---'  
'We can still reach him---'  
Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go..  
'There's nothing you can do, Harry. nothing.. He's gone.'"  
"Is it true?" Harry asked.  
"There is more." I said before continuing, "'He hasn't gone!' Harry yelled.  
He did not believe it, he would not believe it; still he fought Lupin with every bit of strength he had: Lupin did not understand, people hid behind the curtain, he had heard them whispering the first time he had entered the room--- Sirius was hiding, simply lurking out of sight---  
'SIRIUS!' he bellowed, 'SIRIUS!'  
'He cant come back, Harry,' said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. 'He can't come back, because he's d---'  
'HE---IS---NOT---DEAD!' roared Harry. "SIRIUS!"  
There was movement going on around them, pointless bustling, the flashes of more spells. To Harry it meaningless noise, the deflected curses flying past them did not matter, nothing mattered except that Lupin stop pretending that Sirius, who was standing feet from them behind that old curtain, was not going to emerge at any moment, shaking back his dark hair and eager to reenter the battle---  
Lupin dragged Harry away from the dais, Harry still staring at the archway, angry at Sirius now for keeping him waiting---  
But some part of Harry realized, even as he fought to break free from Lupin, that Sirius had never kept him waiting before.. Sirius had risked everything, always, to see Harry, to help him.If Sirius was not reappearing out of the archway when Harry was yelling for him as though his life depended on it, the only possible explanation was that he could not come back.. That he really was." I held in tears that threatened to fall down my face.  
"Do you believe?" Corrie asked Sirius through tears. How could a simple story bring us to tears each time we read it?  
"I won't cry," I whispered to myself, "I won't cry over that pig."  
"What did you say?" Harry asked me.  
"Bye, bye. Not dead. Bye, bye." I said ignoring him.  
"Is she okay?" Sirius asked as he glanced at me.  
"She does that a lot. You should be ashamed of yourself for making her read that." Corrie said as I stared blankly at the wall of the cave.  
"I guess I'll believe you." Sirius sighed as he switched his attention to Harry who now sat in silence contemplating the passage.  
"You better," Harry said. "Don't go to there no mater what."  
"I wont," Sirius promised, "But."  
"That is far easier said than done." I said for him.  
"Exactly. how did you know I would say that?"  
"I know you better than most in this room." I said, "Corrie does as well."  
"I guess you could say that." Corrie said.  
"We know all about Snivellus. And about how you and certain others were major jerks when you were in school." I said.  
"You know it's not necessary to bring that up." Sirius whispered.  
"I know, actually I intend to prevent others from knowing of certain incidents." I said seriously. "Unless of course I blab on accident. You wont believe how many times that has happened to me."  
"That is so Nicole." Corrie sighed, "One minute serious, and the next super ditz. By the way its 569, 570 if you count the time you told me that Cat like Jason. But who's counting?"  
"You are." I said before everything went black. The next thing I knew I was in a misty place. The mist was silvery white but it gave off major bad vibes. "Where am I?" I asked a nonexistent person. I gasped at the sound of my voice. It sounded so distant, so scared.  
"Come to me." Voldemort ordered as he appeared before me.  
"No." I screamed, though my voice was hardly above a whisper.  
"You have no power here." He said. I knew he was right, I definitely felt weaker like part of me was missing. "Now come." I felt his power drawing me to him. I fought with all my might but he was too strong. In seconds he had me.  
"Let go of me!" I tried to scream.  
"Nikki!" I heard Harry yell, his voice also sounded distant.  
"Harry help me!" I tried to scream.  
"What's wrong with her?" Corrie asked.  
"He's got me!" I called out to her, "Voldemort's got me!"  
"They cant save you. There is nothing they can do." He laughed. Then suddenly he was gone. Where did he go?  
"Nikki," Harry gasped, "Are you alright?"  
"Harry!" I screamed, "I'm still here!"  
"Harry Potter." Voldemort said with my voice.  
"Oh, no." I whispered in fear.  
"Nikki?" Harry said uncertainly.  
"Not quite." He said as he stood.  
"Not quite?" Harry asked.  
"Harry look at her eyes." I heard Hermione stutter. Harry must have realized that it was not me who had spoken to him with my voice.  
"Yes Potter, it's me." Voldemort said as he traced a finger, one of my fingers, over Harry's lightning bolt shaped scar.  
"Voldemort?" Harry gasped as he fell to the floor in pain.  
"The girl's protection over you is weakening. As is she." Voldemort hissed.  
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Sirius bellowed as he shoved Voldemort into the cave wall. I gasped as the breath was knocked out of me. I blinked as the dark walls of the cave came into focus.  
"Oh Sirius," I gasped, "Thank you." I ran to him and gave him a big hug. "You saved me."  
"What?"  
"Oh no!" I said when I realized Harry was still on the ground clutching his forehead and moaning in pain. "Oh." I repeated over and over.  
"Harry!" Sirius called.  
"Harry," I whimpered, "I'm sorry," then suddenly I knew what I had to do, "Iuhgliu, (restore)" I whispered repeatedly as I placed my hands over Harry's heart. "Iuhgliu." Harry sat up with a start and gasped for air as I fainted.  
~*~  
"Harry?" I whispered, "Where."  
"You're in the hospital wing," Corrie answered for him.  
"What happened?"  
"You fainted right after you healed Harry." Ron said.  
"I remember." I said.  
"Someone ought to go get Dumbledore." Hermione said. "He said that he wanted to see you as soon as you woke up."  
"I'll do it." Ginny said. "Not like I should really be here, anyway."  
"See ya." Ron said as he watched his younger sister leave the room. "So what was that thing you said?"  
"Iuhgliu." I said.  
"And what does it mean?" he asked.  
"It means restore." Corrie said. "I thought you guys could understand her too."  
"How do you know?" Harry asked.  
"I don't know." Corrie said.  
"So she is awake." Dumbledore said as he entered the room followed closely by Ginny.  
"You have thought about what I said?"  
"With all the attitude of before." I said.  
"Have you?"  
"Yes I have given what you said sufficient thought."  
"And?"  
"I will speak to Harry, but now I must speak with you two."  
"What of?" I asked with out attitude.  
"Bje gdj pmld gsu gow ozmteztu. (You two know the old language)" he said in a whispery voice.  
"Old language?" Corrie asked.  
"You two are gifted with the power of toungs."  
"What?" I asked. "What do you mean?"  
"You can speak the old language," he repeated.  
"What is the 'old language'?" I asked.  
"It is what it is called an old language, mostly incantations. Like Iuhgliu."  
"So Iuhgliu is some sort of spell." I said uncertainly.  
"Precisely. Very few people still speak the old language."  
"That's why I was the only one to understand her." Corrie realized.  
"Yes."  
"How come I didn't know I knew it until Harry was in trouble?"  
"In cases such as yours, when you are born with knowledge of the old language, you are not aware of knowing until you must call upon the incantations." He replied.  
"Professor?" Harry asked.  
"Yes?"  
"What would have happened if Nikki wasn't there?"  
"If I weren't there then that never would have happened." I muttered, Dumbledore ignored me.  
"You might have continued to experience great pain for a few more minutes or hours, days or even weeks. You could have died. the truth is, Harry, that I don't know what would have happened. Now on to the next topic." Dumbledore said. "This is for only Nicole and Harry."  
"Call me Nikki. I don't like Nicole." I insisted.  
"Both of you are to take Occulmency. One of you with Professor Snape and the other with me." He said once every one had left.  
"I'll take it with Professor Snape." I volunteered.  
"Very well then." Dumbledore said. "You shall have your classes on Mondays at six, and Harry yours will be on Friday at six."  
"That all?" I asked.  
"Yes,"  
"Then I'm getting out of here." I said as I swung my legs over to the side of the bed and jumped off.  
"I doubt Madam Pomfrey will like that." Dumbledore said casually.  
"I don't care,"  
"Suit yourself."  
"Yo, Harry. We got to talk."  
"What about?"  
"Walk with me." I ordered. "Peace out Professor." I said giving Dumbledore a peace sign behind my head.  
"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked as we walked away from the hospital wing.  
"I want you to leave me alone." I stated firmly.  
"But why?" Harry asked.  
"Because of what happened." I cried, "I didn't want you to get hurt."  
  
"But I'm fine." Harry protested.  
"You weren't so fine yesterday," I pointed out, "listen I tried. I really did, but I don't want to be with you if it will only cause you pain."  
"I want to be with you." Harry complained.  
"Well I don't want to be with you." I cried. I ran from him and he just stood there with a look of confusion and sadness on his face. I ran throughout the school and didn't stop until I reached the Gryffindor common room.  
"Nicole what's wrong?" Corrie asked as she abandoned the game of chess she had been playing with Dean Thomas and rushed to my side. In her absence Dean moved several pieces. I made a mental note to tell Corrie he cheated, and then rub it in his face if he still lost.  
"I broke up with him." I cried.  
"You did what?" Corrie gasped.  
"I broke up with Harry," I said as I attempted to stop the flow of tears.  
"Why?" Corrie asked.  
"Because of what happened yesterday." I sighed.  
"Oh, I." I didn't hear the rest of what Corrie said because I rushed off upon hearing Harry enter the common room.  
"Talk to you later," I called to her as I ran off.  
~*~  
I sat in silence as I thought of my decision. Breaking up with Harry was the right thing to do. Right? If it was then why does my heart keep telling me otherwise?  
~*~  
"Morning," I said to Corrie as I sat down next to her in the Great Hall.  
"How are you?" she asked quietly.  
"Okay I guess. Why do you ask?" I replied.  
"You broke up with Harry yesterday." Hermione reminded me.  
"Oh. That. Well you see I decided to not let it bother me." I sighed.  
  
"It may not bother you but did you ever think of how Harry felt?" Hermione asked. I glanced at Harry who sat near me. He was talking to Fred and George about quidditch. A sad expression was on his face. Why couldn't they realize that I too felt that way? Why couldn't they realize how much I hurt inside? Oh well. They'll never know because I'll never tell them. Why must I be cursed with the retched emotions like I am? Why must I go through all of this heartache to protect the one I love?  
"I really don't want to talk about this." I said harshly, I silently scolded myself for letting my emotions get through my mask.  
"Okay." Corrie and Hermione said together.  
~*~  
"Get up!" Snape ordered as he raised his wand again.  
"Cant I just rest a moment?" I pleaded. My head felt as if it were to explode.  
"Get up!" he repeated.  
"Give me a minute Snivellus!" I snapped, I hadn't meant to call him that but it slipped.  
"What?" he asked as he lowered his wand, "What did you just call me?"  
"I'm sorry." I whimpered. The pain in my head was getting worse. "It slipped."  
"How?" he asked, "How did you know about that?" I could hear and sense his anger rising.  
"I've read the books, Professor. I know everything." I answered. "That's why I offered to take Occulmency with you instead of Professor Dumbledore. I knew you didn't want Harry to know what happened the day of your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.S." I let out a small gasp as the pain continued to grow worse.  
"Why would you be interested in what I want?" Snape growled.  
"You're my favorite teacher ever. And this is my favorite class ever. I know everyone thinks that you're mean but I don't." I said softly as the immense pain began to subside. "Can we please wait a moment to continue?"  
"Fine." He said as he walked over to his desk. I collapsed on to the floor. "You all right?" he asked for a moment I thought his kindness was genuine. After a moment I realized that he was probably acting that way because he didn't know how to respond to what I had said.  
"Yes," I mumbled as I pressed my forehead against the cold stone floor of the dungeon like classroom.  
"Here." He said as he tossed a chocolate frog to me. I rolled over and picked up the small blue and gold box that contained the frog shaped chocolate.  
"Thank you." I whispered as I opened the package. I picked up the frog and glanced at the card beneath it. "Salazar Slytherin." I stared at the picture of the middle-aged man with longish jet-black hair. I nibbled at the frog and almost immediately began to feel better. "I wonder why he thought that only children born to witches and wizards should have been aloud in Hogwarts?" I asked myself as I bit off more of the frog, "It hardly makes sense, I know loads of great muggle born people here who are great at magic." I looked over the card again. "What do you think Professor?"  
"Being a teacher I am not permitted to take sides on that particular matter." Snape droned.  
"That's okay, I know your opinion anyway." Snape raised an eyebrow, "I've read the books remember. I know all of you pretty well. By all of you I mean you, James, Lilly Sirius, Remus, and.Pettigrew. I don't know Lilly and James as well as I would like."  
"James got what he deserved," Snape hissed under his breath. A normal person couldn't have heard him but my sense of hearing had improved greatly over the past few weeks.  
"No one deserved that, Professor." I said passionately.  
  
"You've had a long enough break." Snape said as he quickly rose from his desk.  
"I agree." I said before tossing the rest of the chocolate into my mouth.  
~*~  
Nearly two weeks had passed. I feel so empty. My friends haven't noticed though, at least I don't think they have noticed too much. Corrie seems a bit worried about me. But she doesn't have much time to talk to me any more because of all of the homework we have and the study group she formed with Hermione. Whenever I am with my friends I try to act normal, as hard as that may be. I think Fred and George are starting to notice how I am beginning to avoid people. They asked me why I was no longer a tester for them. I lied and said I had too much other work to do. They kept their side of our deal though I did not keep mine. I now have three small bags full of Nosebleed Nougat, Fainting Fancies, and Puking Pastries. It should be enough to get me out of Umbridge's class for the rest of the year.  
~*~  
"Hey Nicole?" Corrie asked as we walked down a long flight of stairs to potions class. Snape had been treating me a lot better he had stopped taking pointes of my work for silly reasons. I assume from what I had read of him, but I certainly hope not, that I was the first person who was truly kind to him.  
"Hi Corrie. Long time, no see." I joked, "What's up?"  
"Look there's Jean Claude." Corrie said as she pointed to a tall boy with long dark hair. He reminded me of a younger version of Sirius.  
"He's in our transfiguration class." I said as I turned my head to get a better look at him.  
"What do you know about him?" Corrie asked. Finally something I knew, I always knew everything that went on in the school. In a short time I had become a gossip queen. I never made up rumors but many times I did accidentally spread them.  
"His name is Jean Claude, his parents named him that so people knew that the family is part French. He's never been to France though. He's going this summer and his parents say he can bring a friend. No one knows who he wants to bring but rumor has it that it is a girl, a fifth year Gryffindor girl. He is a Ravenclaw that just transferred from Durmstrang. He has long jet-black hair and beautiful hazel eyes to die for. He is five seven maybe five eight. His birthday is on November first. And he is loaded but he doesn't like people to know." I said finishing shortly before we entered the classroom.  
"Well any way I wanted to know if you would mind me going out with Harry." I looked at Corrie. She wasn't kidding, I wanted to scream how could she like him? Couldn't she see that I still liked him? No I guess she can't see. I suppose that I have done to well a job of hiding my emotions. I looked at Harry who was taking a seat next to Ron. He was laughing about something. Was he really happy? Or was he just like me? Was he hiding his true feelings like I was? Maybe he never really loved me as much as I loved him.  
"I don't care. You can go out with him if you want." I lied. Corrie was my best friend how could she do this to me? I scolded my self for thinking that. It was me letting her. I know very well that if I had told her the truth then she just would have left Harry alone. This is best. Maybe Corrie can make Harry happy. At least they will be safe. Voldemort has no known desire for Corrie so she wouldn't be a danger to Harry like I was. Treat him well. I thought.  
"Did you say something?" Corrie whispered when Snape had his back turned.  
"No," I hissed as I added powdered moonstone to the boiling concoction.  
~*~  
I woke with a start from one of the strangest dreams I had ever had. The large trunk at the end of my bed feel to the floor making a loud crashing noise as it fell over spilling the contents onto the floor.  
"What's going on?" Corrie yawned. Hermione moaned in complaint of the loud noise.  
"Nothing." I whispered. "Happy birthday." To day was our birthday. That was how we had met; her fifth grade teacher had told her that Sarah and I shared her birthday.  
"Happy birthday." She repeated before falling back asleep. I turned my mind back to the dream. I was dreaming that the trunk had been floating about a foot off the ground. Was it just a coincidence that my trunk fell over the moment I awoke? I had read to many books about girls finding out that they had telekinesis to not try to move things with my mind. I imagined the robes, books, quills, photos, and other things floating neatly into the trunk. The items did what I imagined them doing. Next I made the trunk sit upright and close. The trunk did it and I returned the sleep thinking of my newfound talents. I wondered if Corrie too had some power that even she was unaware of.  
~*~  
"Good morning," Corrie said to me as she opened the small box that Harry had given to her. She pulled out a silver choker with a purple gem the same width of a dime. "Oh wow, Harry," she gasped as she put it on. "I love it."  
"Happy birthday." Ron said to both of us. "Here," he said handing us a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.  
"Thank you." Corrie and I said at the same time.  
"This is for you," Hermione said as she handed a large square shaped package to Corrie, "and this is for you." She handed me a slightly smaller package.  
"Coolio." I exclaimed after unwrapping what turned out to be several books. By glancing at the tittles I found out that all of the books were horror.  
"They're the bloody, violent kind. Corrie told me that you like that kind." Hermione explained.  
"Corrie was right." I said as I opened the book on top. On the first page was a picture of a dark shadowy room with a crackling fire; in the middle of the room there was an even darker reddish spot, which I assumed to be blood.  
"Do you like what I got you?" Hermione asked Corrie who was flipping through a large old looking spell book.  
"I love it. I can't wait to go over some of these spells." Corrie said with out looking up from the book.  
"That reminds me." I said suddenly. " Watch this." I instructed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Corrie. I concentrated hard on the book in Corrie's lap. It floated away from her. It stopped mid air and fell into my outstretched hands.  
"Did you do that?" Hermione asked sounding a bit dumbfounded.  
"Yea, I found out I could do it last night when my trunk fell over." I explained.  
"That's so cool." Corrie said.  
"Do you think you have any powers like that?" I questioned her. "For some reason it wouldn't surprise me."  
"I cloud just be going crazy but every once in a while I hear people talking when they're not." Corrie replied as I handed her book back.  
"Happy Birthday." Neville greeted as he walked past us. He tripped and fell to the floor; Trevor the toad flew out of his hands. "Oh! Trevor come back!" Neville exclaimed as the large green toad hopped away.  
"Need any help, Neville?" I called as I watched him race after the toad.  
"No thank you." Neville said, continuing the frantic chase.  
"So any do you mean like that time in potions awhile ago?" I asked.  
"Refresh my memory." Corrie ordered.  
"It was a couple of days after Jean Claude transferred here. We were on our way to potions. You asked me an important question. I answered you once in potions." I tried to explain.  
"Ohhhhhhh." Corrie remembered.  
"Yesssssss." I said copying the way she said oh for so long.  
"Yea I remember that." Corrie said.  
"Do you remember what it was that you thought I said?" I asked Corrie.  
"Yea, I thought you said 'tr." I cut Corrie off before she could finish her sentence.  
"Dot say it." I snapped, "Write it." I handed her a piece of parchment and a quill from off the table beside me.  
"Whatever," she mumbled as she wrote down the short three word sentence. Treat him well.  
"This is it." I exclaimed but not to loudly, "This is what I was thinking right before you asked me if I said som." I let out a high-pitched scream as Trevor the slimy green toad landed on my legs. Normally I wouldn't have screamed but I just hand to land on my bare skin, "Oh this is so gross." I whimpered.  
"Thanks for catching Trevor, Nicole." Neville said as he picked up the toad.  
"Yea, sure welcome." I twitched; I could still feel the slimy toad's feet on my legs.  
"Poor Nicole." Corrie giggled.  
"Not funny." I cried as I scrubbed furiously at my legs. "That was super gross."  
"Come on Nikki." Ron said as he tried not to laugh, "You did scream pretty high."  
"You'd scream just the same if it had been you." I sorely snapped.  
"No I wouldn't." Ron argued. "You would if it'd been a spider." I pointed out Ron stopped laughing. He knew I was right. "Sometimes you just can't take a joke, Nicole." Corrie said through her laughter. "Meanie." I pouted. I glared at her, which caused her to stop laughing. It was then that I noticed Harry. He was laughing with the rest but it was forced laughter. Was he still upset? He shouldn't be. It's been nearly a month. Why shouldn't he be sad though? I questioned my self. I was still in pain, wasn't I? Then why couldn't he still hurt? "I just realized something." "What?" Hermione asked. "I forgot to put on my amulet." I said, "Corrie why don't you do some experiments to see if you really a telepathic?" I ran off to the girl's dormitory. I knew where the amulet was though I took a particularly long time 'finding' it. Ten minutes after leaving I returned to the common room with the amulet around my neck. The amulet was my most prized possession. I almost always had it with me. Harry had given it to me as a gift when we were in Diagon Alley. I loved the amulet as I did him. I kept it as a symbol of the love I still had for him deep within my heart. On several occasions though I was tempted to rid myself of the beautiful ever-changing crystal that hung on the thin silver chain. Times like that it hurt too much to remember the love that we once shared. I only kept because I remembered at the, last possible moment, that there was still a chance if only I were willing to risk everything. "I thought you looked different," Corrie said. It took me a moment to realize that she had not said the words but sent them into my mind. "Cool power." I said enviously. If I had her power then I could see if Harry truly still cared for me. "Sure beats making things float around." "I'll trade you." Corrie joked. "Okay." I laughed. "How about we go to Hogsmeade to celebrate our birthday?" "Great plan." Harry agreed. "Lets go," I grinned. "It's only ten in the morning, Nicole." Corrie said. "We'll beat the crowds." "And we'll have to wait around for all of the stores to open." Hermione pointed out. "You people are no fun." I pouted, "Haven't you ever thought that waiting might be fun." "Nicole you hate waiting." Corrie sighed. "Only when I was waiting alone." I explained. "Liar, you would always complain that you had to wait, when Sarah was with you." "Sarah is my sister." I argued. "I see," Corrie laughed.  
~*~  
"Hey, Nikki?" Harry called out to me in the Great Hall.  
"What's up?"  
"Are you alright?" he asked me after pulling me away from my friends.  
"Yea, I'm fine." I lied, "Why do you ask?"  
  
"You've been acting strange lately." He said. Together we walked out of the Great Hall and into the Court Yard.  
"I have?" I asked innocently. "Yea, you have. And I was kind of worried about you. Are you sure nothing is wrong?" I looked into his bright green eyes. How could I lie to him? At that moment I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, how much I missed him. But I knew I couldn't. Out of habit I grabbed the crystal, which for today had taken on a scarlet hue. "Actually something has been bothering me." I sighed as I collapsed onto one of the cold stone benches the surrounded the Court Yard. "What is it?" He asked sitting down next to me. "I miss my friends and family." I lied, "I've never been away from them this long before." I glanced at Harry, was that sadness I saw in his eyes? "You can always send them owls." Harry suggested in attempt to comfort my false worries. "It's not the same." I sighed, "Maybe somehow my parents will find the money for a plane ticket home. So I can at least be with them for Christmas." "Hopefully," Harry said. "I doubt it though. We've never had that much money. So I doubt they'll even have enough saved up by the end of school. I don't know where I'll go if I cant go home." I forced myself to cry just a bit. "You could stay with me." He suggested I heard a sliver of hope in his voice. "I couldn't do that, besides the Dursleys wont want me and Sirius doesn't like me." I whispered. "It's the least I can do." Harry insisted. "You say that like you've yet to do anything for me, though you've already done so very much." I began. "All that I did before was nothing." Harry said rather modestly. "Liar," I snapped, "You gave me everything I needed. And you still liked me after I proved to be a threat to you. And after what happened in the cave." "Buying you all of that wasn't important because one way or another you would have gotten everything. And about still liking you I didn't want to hate you because of things that you couldn't control." "Harry you really are a great person." I said to Harry, "Damn," I cursed, "I'm late for my Occulmency class. Bye Harry. Snape is going to be so pissed." I ran all the way to the Potions classroom where my special classes were being held. "Why hello, Mudblood." Malfoy snickered after I ran into him by accident. "Sorry," I muttered as I tried to push past Crabbe and Goyle who blocked my way. "I think know would be a great time to teach you not to mess with a Malfoy." Malfoy said as he motioned to Crabbe and Goyle. The advanced on me. I tried to get away but I was trapped. Crabbe grabbed my arms and held them behind my back and Goyle searched my bag and then my robes for my wand. "Let go of me." I pleaded; Crabbe grunted and held on to my arms tighter. I gasped as it began to hurt. I struggled to free myself but the oaf was too strong. "You wont get away this time." Malfoy grinned as he raised his wand. "Like you did back in Diagon Alley?" I spat. It was a stupid thing to say in this situation but I couldn't help myself. "Filthy Mudblood." Malfoy yelled. "Let me go!" I screamed. "Experillmous." Some one bellowed the second Malfoy began to speak the name of a curse. "Professor." Malfoy gasped as he tried to come up with an excuse for what had been going on. "Let Miss. Albert go and return her wand to her." Snape ordered Crabbe and Goyle. "The three of you will have detention with me tomorrow night at ten. And I must take ten points each." "But Professor." Malfoy protested. Thanks to the loss of thirty points Slytherin would lose it's lead. "Miss Albert come with me." Snape instructed me. "Yes Professor." I said meekly. Snape led me through the labyrinth that was the lower part of the school to his classroom. I massaged my arms urging the pain to go away. "Lets begin." Snape said once I had closed the door to the classroom behind me. "Alright." I said eagerly after sitting by bag on a desk that had been pushed out of the way. The class was just as long though it didn't seem as bad as previous lessons. "You are improving." Snape told me, "You nay take a short break now if you like." "Thank you." I said softly. I concentrated on the potions book, quill, and parchment in my bag one by one they floated over to me. "You ought to tell Dumbledore about your new abilities." Snape said. "Why's that?" I asked as I flipped through the book. "He wants to know what powers you develop, you and your friend." Snape explained. "If you want I am ready to continue." I said as I put away my stuff the normal way. I couldn't concentrate on my homework any way. The rest of the hour flew by and I returned rather sleepily to Gryffindor tower. "Snape give you a hard time?" Harry asked as I entered the common room. "No, he was really cool." I yawned. "Why do you say that?" he asked me. I sat down to near Harry in one of the large red armchairs. I told him the story of how Malfoy and his friends had trapped me on my way to Occulmency, and what Snape had done when he caught them. "It was really good that Snape came looking for me when he did. I don know what Malfoy was about to do but I have a good feeling that it wasn't going to be pretty." "I bet Malfoy didn't think that thanks to him Griffindore would take the lead." Harry laughed. "If only you had seen the look on his face when Snape took thirty points from Slytherin." I giggled, "It was priceless." "If only," Harry repeated. "Well, I'm a bit tired so I'll see you in the morning." I said to Harry as I rose from the chair. "Goodnight," "Night."  
~*~  
Speaking with Harry for what seemed to be the first time in months made me long for the love that we once shared. Did he feel the same? The secret of how I felt was becoming too much for me to bear alone. I have to tell Corrie. I thought to myself. I have to tell her how I feel.  
~*~  
"Uh. Corrie," I said shyly. Should I tell her? Yes, I have to tell her.  
"What's up?" she asked completely oblivious to what I was about to say, "Hi Harry."  
"Harry," I gasped. I had gone over everything but not once had I thought of what to say if Harry showed up.  
"So what did you want to tell me? Corrie asked.  
"Read my mind." I ordered Corrie.  
"I can't."  
"Why not?" I really didn't want to make my little speech in front of Harry.  
"Well everyone has a shield thing to protect their thoughts. Most people have weak shields that I can penetrate easily but you and Harry's shield have become so strong lately that I couldn't penetrate them if even I was ten times stronger." Corrie explained. She sounded like she knew what she was talking about but I got the vibe that she knew little more than Harry and I.  
"Well try now." I ordered as I attempted to lower my metal shield. Corrie's eyes dilated as she pushed her way into my mind.  
"Oh," I uttered as I felt her mind inside of mine pushing through my thoughts in search of what I had wanted to say.  
"I can't believe you did that!" Corrie hysterically laughed.  
"CORRIE ANN HARDIN!" I screamed gathering the attention of several people passing by. "I let you into my mind to see what I wanted to tell you not so you could laugh at one of the most embarrassing moments of my life."  
"Sorry," Corrie pouted "Oh, Nicole. Why didn't you tell me you felt like that?" Corrie began crying.  
"What's wrong?" I asked thinking she was hurt.  
"Nothing, it's just there was so much sadness bottled up inside you regarding those thoughts that you subconsciously transferred some of it to it to me. So why didn't you ever tell that's how you felt?"  
"I didn't want to seem selfish." I whimpered.  
"That wouldn't have been selfish." Corrie protested as she wiped fresh tears from her eyes. "Listen Nicole, Harry."  
"What?" Harry and I asked together.  
"You two, as of now, are going out." Corrie ordered. I sighed, I knew I wanted Harry but could I risk it again? Harry looked happier than he had in weeks.  
"But." I argued mostly with myself.  
"Nicole Renee Albert." Corrie said sternly. "You are going to go out with Harry whether you want to or not."  
"I know." I whispered. "I wouldn't let myself do otherwise. But what about you and Harry?"  
"Jean Claude asked me out earlier so I was going to break up with Harry anyway." Corrie replied.  
"I feel loved." Harry said sarcastically.  
"You should," I cooed.  
"Now since we are done with this happy reunion we should get to class before we are extremely late rather than very late." Corrie said.  
"Good idea," I laughed as we all started running in the direction of classroom.  
"Sorry we're late Professor." Harry panted.  
"Yea, ditto." I gasped.  
"Thirty points from Gryffindor." Umbridge said sternly. "I will not tolerate tardiness in my class."  
"We are so sorry, Professor. It will never happen again." I said sarcastically.  
"Make that forty points. Now take your seats and read chapter five."  
"Been there done that." I said as I took a nail file out of my bag and began to work on my nails. "Trust me it was major snooze fest. I'm surprised that I didn't fall asleep."  
"Nicole, shut up." Corrie warned.  
"Well Miss Albert if you have already read the chapter than it wouldn't be hard for you to write a paper on it for me due at the end of class."  
"Nah, I don't want to waist my time. Besides I don't think that book is right at all." I said.  
"Might you like to share your reason with the class?" Umbridge asked.  
  
"You know what I wouldn't mind telling everyone." I said confidently. "I believe that the writer of this book doesn't know a thing about the Dark Arts. I believe that they are just trying to use a bunch of fancy words to make it sound like they know something. I also believe that you know bull about this class. I have never been to a wizarding school before but I sure learned a hell of a lot more from reading fictional books than I did in your fucked up class."  
"Nicole," Corrie gasped along with several other students.  
"What?" I asked innocently, "I'm in a really good mood."  
"If this is her in a good mood then I don't want to see what's she's like in a bad mood." A Ravenclaw boy whispered to his friend.  
  
"You young lady just got yourself a month detention." Umbridge said through clenched teeth. She held onto the desk so hard that her knuckles turned to a whitish pink color.  
"Good," I said before continuing my nails.  
~*~  
"Did you see Umbridge when you told her she didn't know anything about the class?" Ron asked excitedly. Like many others students he was fascinated by the way I had stood up to Umbridge.  
"You Ron, for the millionth time, I saw her." I sighed, as fun as it was to be liked by everyone, teaches included, it felt almost wrong to be liked for getting in a fight with a teacher.  
"I don't really approve of what you did. But I must say the points you are getting from the other teachers for making Umbridge's life a living hell are starting to outweigh the points Umbridge takes." Hermione said as we entered the meeting place of the DA. Several students were already there. Including the snitch. I had warned Harry and Hermione at a pervious date but they decided to take a chance and let her in.  
"No worries, Hermione. Corrie, I have a bad feeling about today." I said.  
"What about today?" she asked.  
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter Twenty-one The Eye of the Snake, page 457." I whispered. Corrie thought for a moment her lips moved slightly as if she was silently reciting the page.  
"I see, 'no worries.'" She said.  
"One) my saying, two) yea you're right. No worries." I said still feeling worried. Cho was no longer my friend; we haven't spoken since the first performance. Would she kiss Harry just to make me jealous? Why would I be jealous? After all Harry likes me and not her. Right? Harry doesn't have any feelings for Cho anymore. Or does he? How could I think that?  
"Nikki? Are you coming?" someone asked.  
"What?" I said. "What did you say?"  
"We're done for today." Harry explained.  
"Oh really? It went by really fast." I gasped. It had gone by so quickly; I couldn't even remember any of it.  
"Seemed long to me." He admitted. "You kind of spaced the hole time though, so it would seem short to you."  
"I was thinking." I said.  
"About what?"  
"Page 457."  
"Harry Potter 5?"  
"Yea."  
"I wont ask,"  
"Please and thank you." I said before running of to the girl's dormitory.  
~*~  
"Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee. I wrote to you of childhood fantasy. Well I'm a grown up now, can you still help somehow? I'm not a child but my heart still can dream." I sang, "So here's my life long wish, my grown up Christmas list. Not for myself but for a world in need. No more lives torn apart, and wars would never start. And time would heal all."  
"Nick!" Corrie interrupted, "They're here!"  
"They are!" I screamed as I ran after her out of the small living room where I had been singing a Christmas carol that I had learned in seventh grade, "Mom! Dad!"  
"Nice to see you too." They said as I gave them each a hug.  
"I've missed you so much. You guys too." I said to them and my sisters.  
"Remus Lupin." Sarah said dreamily as she affixed her stare to Remus who had been sitting in the corner watching the commotion.  
"Remind us to never travel by floo powder ever again." Corrie's mom said as she brushed soot off of Mark, one of Corrie's younger brothers.  
"Mom." He complained.  
"Remus Lupin," Sarah drooled.  
"That reminds me." I exclaimed. "Remus, I've been experimenting with the potion you take. I think I've found a way to make it prevent your transformations entirely."  
"Really?" he asked trying not to get his hopes too much.  
"Yes only it tastes really bad, I'm going to work on that after I find out if it really works." I sighed.  
"I'm going to be your guinea pig aren't I?" he asked.  
"Would you?" I begged.  
"I'd do anything to get rid of this curse." He said.  
"Thank you." I grinned.  
"I'm getting great grades in Potions," I told my parents. "Top marks."  
"What about your other classes?" dad asked.  
"Been doing you're homework?" mom inquired.  
"Herbology is terrible every thing I touch dies. And yes I have been doing my homework." I whined. Why did they have to ask me about all of this boring stuff the day before Christmas?  
"Come on," Corrie said, "Everyone else is in the living room."  
"Remus, I've put a sample of the potion in your room. Take it the night before the full moon. If you don't transform then I want you to make detailed, hourly reports on how you feel, physically and emotionally. Then, if it works or not, I want you to check for side affects daily." I instructed.  
"Your daughter is really the expert when it comes to potions." He said to my parents.  
"Awe. don't exaggerate." I blushed.  
"I'm not."  
"I know." I laughed.  
"A normal person in her situation shouldn't be able to do what she does." He began, "She doesn't need instructions. She just knows how to do everything naturally."  
"Remus, honestly I'm not that good." I argued.  
"But you are good. Just as good as Corrie is in transfiguration." He said.  
"Remus." He said warily.  
"We appreciate you telling our parents what good witches we are, but seriously. Drop it." I snapped.  
"Consider the topic dropped." He said.  
"Remus Lupin," Sarah repeated.  
"Yes Sarah, Remus." I sighed. "Anyone in there?"  
"She's a little scary." Remus said.  
"She's your biggest fan." I said as I waved my hand in front of her unblinking eyes, "Most girls fall for Sirius but she goes nuts for the werewolf. No offense. She loves that about you. She thinks it's the best thing since.well since.since the best thing ever."  
"She must be one in a million."  
"When you take into consideration her other aspects she becomes one in a zillion." I said as we entered the living room. "Halo, anyone miss me?" Harry winked at me. Rom pretended to gag. I walked over to him and kicked him in the shin.  
"OW!" he shouted.  
"Sorry my foot slipped." I lied.  
"She used to do that to me all the time." Sarah said.  
"My god she can say something other than 'Remus Lupin'" I gasped saying Remus's name as she did before.  
"Did you tell your parents about the fight you and Umbridge got in?" he asked.  
"Ron!" I screamed. Vengeance is so sweet.unless it is at my expense.  
"You got in a fight with a teacher?" dad asked scarily.  
"It wasn't really a fight." I whimpered, "More of a disagreement."  
"Disagreement?" Ron laughed, "You said that you learned a hell of a lot more from reading fictional books than you did in her fucked up class."  
"RON! Honestly, I'm going to kill you." I screamed as I reached for Ron who ducked and dashed away.  
"Get back here!" my dad yelled to me, I yelled to Ron, and Mrs. Weasley yelled to both of us.  
"Yes mum." Rom mumbled as he walked slowly back into he room.  
"Yes dad." I whimpered.  
"There will be no killing anyone and no getting anyone in trouble." Mrs. Weasley ordered.  
"Yes ma'am." We said together.  
"As for you Nicole Renee Albert," my dad began.  
"She's been punished enough already. I've been told that Professor Umbridge gives very strict detentions so there is no doubt that she has already learned her lesson." Mrs. Weasley said.  
"It's true dad. Her detentions are the worst." I showed him the scars on my hand that were almost invisible. "She's got me writing lines. Everything I write gets cut into my hand."  
"She can't be aloud to do that." my mom exclaimed. "We ought to tell Dumbledore."  
"Please don't. It's what she wants you to do." I complained.  
"Harry and Nicole have decided not to let Umbridge get to them." Corrie explained.  
"Knowing you that's not possible." Dad said to me.  
~*~  
"Sing verily, merrily, loud, and strong. Sing joy the glorious season." I sang nervously to the occupants of the room as I listened to the conversation my parents were having with Harry.  
"So you and Nicole are going out?" my mom asked.  
"Just follow along with the holiday song. Santa is here again. Yes!" I continued.  
"Err.I guess." He said uncertainly.  
"What about Cho?" she inquired; I couldn't take it any longer.  
"Parents that pry are likely to be cursed." I hinted, "Harry ignore them."  
"Alright."  
"We just want to make sure that you two wont end up like you and your past boyfriends." She said with fake concerned  
"They don't matter anymore so I don't see why you insist upon continuously bringing them up." I pouted. "Conversation over."  
~*~  
"Oh wow." I gasped, "A firebolt! Honestly Harry you shouldn't have."  
"You're welcome." He said.  
"Thanks, who's this from?" I asked after unwrapping 1,001 Advanced Potions.  
"It came for you by owl." Sirius said.  
"Oh there's a note. That's sooo nice, and to think I didn't get him anything." I said as I read the note that had been neatly folded inside the front cover.  
"Who is it from?" Harry asked as he tried to read the note over my shoulder.  
"He doesn't want anyone other than me to know. He doesn't want anyone to think he's gone soft." I said as I stuffed the note back into the book.  
"He is going soft," Harry muttered; he must have gotten my hint.  
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley." Corrie said after opening the lumpy package that turned out to be a baby blue sweater.  
"You're welcome dear." Mrs. Weasley said.  
"I can wear it tonight," Corrie said, "It would go perfect with the skirt I just bought."  
"You mean the black one?" I asked as I silently prayed that she didn't mean the black one that was nothing more than a few scraps of fabric hidden in my trunk.  
"Yea. You didn't do anything to it did you?" she said suspiciously.  
"It's still black." I whimpered.  
"What did you do to it?" she asked menacingly.  
"I.uh.borrowed it." I said tentatively.  
"And?" she asked. Scary. "Draco attacked me and the skirt got the worst of it." I said as I shielded myself from her. "I'll kill him." Corrie snapped. "You do that." I said. "You can't kill him yet we haven't played Slytherin yet in quidditch." Harry said suddenly. "It wouldn't be fair to win by forfeit."  
"Don't care. He killed my favorite skirt so I will kill him." Corrie  
said. "Corrie be nice. Let him live just a bit longer." I pleaded for Harry's sake. "If you wait till after the quidditch match you can get him while he's down." I suggested.  
"Bad idea. I want to kill him when he is at full strength." Corrie  
argued.  
"No plotting murders on Christmas." Mrs. Weasley barked.  
"Yes ma'am." Corrie, Harry, and I said together.  
~*~  
"Bye." I smiled, tears threatened to poor from my olive eyes, "I'll miss you."  
"Bye." Corrie said to her parents and younger brothers.  
"I'll send you guys loads of owls." I promised though I knew with the upcoming O.W.L.S I would have very little time to write them.  
"Bye." Mom, dad, Corrie's parents, and all of our younger siblings chorused before the first of the large group disappeared through the bright green flames.  
"Back to school already?" I asked after they had all gone.  
"Unfortunately," Ron groaned.  
"How did your date with Jean go?" I asked Corrie to keep my mind off of school and my now very distant family.  
"I was waiting for you to ask." Corrie said excitedly. "First he took me on a moonlit broom ride, followed by a romantic dinner near a frozen lake. He gave me this."  
"Coolio." I gasped as I inspected the silver trinket around my best friends wrist. "Borrow?"  
"Skirt."  
"Understood." I said solemnly, "Oh I know what I want for my birthday!'  
"Our birthday is in October Nicole." Corrie laughed.  
"I know but I already know what I want." I said.  
"What do you want?" Harry asked as we walked to my room.  
"I forgot." I laughed.  
"Nicole." Corrie laughed as well, "That is so you."  
~*~ (A/n I'm sorry for skipping so far ahead in the story but I have so many ideas for later parts and don't want to waste my time writing silly side stories)  
"Harry listen to us," I said harshly after Corrie and I had chased him out of the Great Hall.  
"Sirius is all right." Corrie said as she grabbed Harry's left arm.  
"You didn't see what I saw." Harry argued as he struggled to get away from us.  
"Harry please," I soothed, "Calm down please. The only way Sirius will get hurt is if you try to save him."  
"Nikki," Harry sighed.  
"Harry calm down. Sirius will be fine." I said softly, "We'll go see them if it'll make you feel better."  
"Lets go." He said tentatively.  
~*~  
"Sirius!" Harry shouted once he had stepped through the bright green flames.  
"Harry calm down." I scolded, "You act to rashly when you're like this."  
"Sorry," Harry snapped bitterly.  
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked as he entered the room.  
"You were right," Harry admitted.  
"And you were stupid." I pouted, "You wanted to go straight to the Department of Mysteries."  
"I was worried ok." Harry shouted.  
"Not ok! You were supposed to trust us! You were supposed to trust me!" I screamed back at him. "We told you that he was ok! We told you that it was a trap! But you didn't believe us! Haven't we done enough for you to believe us?"  
"Nicole." Harry argued.  
"Come on guys. Don't fight. Not now." Corrie said softly right before I started to cry.  
"Nicole." Harry sighed, "Don't cry. I'm sorry all right. I was stupid not to believe you."  
"I'm sorry." I cried, "I shouldn't have shouted at you."  
"Same here." Harry said.  
"What is going on?" Sirius asked, "What are you three doing here?"  
"I had another vision." Harry explained.  
"He saw Voldemort attacking you." Corrie added.  
"Harry wanted to go to the Department of Mysteries. But we made him come here first to prove that you were safe." I whimpered after I had stopped crying.  
"Dumbledore said something like this would happen." Sirius muttered.  
"And he didn't tell me?" Harry asked angrily.  
"Temper Harry." I scolded, "I thought Dumbledore told you."  
"He didn't."  
"Then what did he tell you when the two of you had that talk he told me that you two were going to have?" I asked.  
"He conveniently forgot." Harry said.  
"As smart as Dumbledore is he is the stupidest man I have ever met." I snapped.  
"New topic." Corrie said quickly as she felt the tension in the room rising.  
"Good idea." I began, "Fuck. He's coming."  
"Oh god you're right." Corrie said.  
"Who?" Harry asked.  
"Voldemort." We said together. Suddenly the shadows in the room got darker and larger.  
"Get out!" I screamed to the shadows. "GET OUT!"  
"I've done what I came to do so I will gladly leave." The shadows hissed, "Preparations are already being made for your visit dear niece."  
"What?" I asked, "What do you mean? Tell me."  
"He's gone." Corrie said not knowing whether to be upset or happy.  
"What was he talking about?" Sirius asked.  
"Hell if I know." I muttered. "Shiver."  
"What?" Corrie asked.  
"I just got the worst feeling ever." I whispered. "Like something really, really bad was going to happen real soon."  
"Shiver." Corrie repeated.  
"Corrie did you pick up the vibe Voldemort was giving off?" I asked her.  
"I couldn't feel a thing." Corrie sighed.  
"What about you Harry?"  
"I felt it." Harry said.  
"Maybe you have to have some sort of connection to Voldemort to vibe with him." Corrie suggested.  
"One good idea. Two I think I know what the connection is." I said.  
"Blood." Harry realized.  
"Smart boy, Voldemort's blood runs through my veins like Harry's runs through his." I explained.  
"I've got something I really need to say." Corrie said dramatically, "I think our lives have become a really cheesy fanfic."  
"Corrie if we were living in a fanfic Sirius wouldn't hate me." I pointed out.  
"Yea good point. Unless of course you wrote it." Corrie said.  
"If this was a fanfic then Remus would have married Sarah by now." I argued.  
"I'm going to have nightmares." Remus sighed.  
"We have to get back to school." Harry said reluctantly.  
"Right." Corrie and I said at the same time.  
"We have got to stop doing that." I laughed.  
"Wait. I almost forgot. You left this here." Sirius said as he handed me a silver mood ring.  
"Thanks a ton. I've been looking all over for this." I said as I slipped the ring onto my finger. "That's strange. It's not supposed to turn black."  
"Quick! Nicole take the ring off!" Corrie screamed.  
"It wont come off." I whimpered as I pulled at the ring. "Wait why am I taking the ring off?"  
"Portkey! Nicole that's what he meant. He made the ring a Portkey!" Corrie explained as I frantically tugged at the ring. Then all of a sudden I felt the Portkey activating.  
"Promise me that you wont try to save me." I pleaded.  
"No." Harry said firmly before I was transported away from them.  
~*~  
"Do you like your room?" Voldemort asked me after he entered the large apartment like room.  
"Oh yes I love it so much. Almost as much as I love having you around." I snapped sarcastically.  
"You haven't touched the food. You must be hungry by now." He said sounding almost like he cared. "It's not poisoned you know."  
"I'm sure." I muttered. "Why did you kidnap me? Why aren't you torturing me? What do you want with me?"  
"I kidnapped you because you wouldn't come of your own will." he began.  
"I wonder why." I spat.  
"I'm not torturing because that's not why I brought you here. And I what to talk to you." he finished.  
"You want to talk to me?!?!" I screamed. "You took me away from my friends and kept me trapped here against my will just to talk!"  
"You need to know the truth." He argued.  
"I know the fucking truth. You are a horrible person who wants to kill Harry." I shouted.  
"If I don't eventually kill Harry then he will kill me." He said as his temper rose.  
"I don't care. You deserve to die!" I shrieked, "You killed hundreds of people. What did Harry do? Why should he die just so a fag like you can live?"  
"I." he began.  
"I don't want to hear it! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" I seethed.  
~*~ Weeks passed. I felt so alone if it weren't for Darien and Harry I think I'd kill my self. Darien is the death eater who brought me food. He seems to be a nice boy, but I wouldn't trust him. Darien was eighteen with blackish brown hair that was cut short. He was also tall with loving fun filled blue eyes. "Hey Nikki." Darien said as he knocked on the door. "You up?" "The doors open." I called to him, "I got some stuff for you from your uncle." "Please don't call him that. I want to forget that we're related." I muttered as I glanced at the bags he held. "What is it?" "Clothes mostly. And some girl stuff." He said as he put the bags down next to my bed. "I really don't want to except this stuff if it's from him but it's not like I have a choice, is it?" I said as I went through the closest bag. "No you don't have a choice. Unless you want to wear that the rest of your life." He looked at the uniform I was wearing. It was torn in two places, from when I tried to escape, and the skirt had a stain. "This is all muggle clothes." I exclaimed, "I feel sorry for who ever had to go out and get this." "I except your pity." Darien sighed, "No one else would and it's not like the Dark Lord can walk into a store and buy something with out arousing suspicion." "Poor boy." I teased. "I didn't know what you liked so I just got a bunch of stuff." He said. "I love all of it." I assured him. "I just hope it all fits." "Try it on." He instructed. "Okay. Wait here." I told him as I ran to the bathroom with the bags. "That looks great on you," he gasped. I wore tight hip huggers and a black halter-top. "Really?" I asked uncertainly. "Yea." He assured me. "I'm going to try something else on." I said as I returned to the bathroom. "How's this," I asked this time I had on a short jean skirt and a white tee shirt. "Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked. "Is that a 'you look okay'?" I questioned. "No it's a 'do you have a boy friend' because I want to be more than a friend to you." he said. "I'm going to try something else on." I said quickly as I dashed back into the bathroom. "Nikki?" Darien said tentatively as I exited the room wearing baggy jeans and a blood red tube top. "Darien I really like you but I cant like you more than a friend." I said softly. "You have a boyfriend." He pouted. "Yes. I have a boyfriend but that's not all though. Do you want Harry Potter dead?" I asked. "I don't want anyone dead." He said sincerely. "Then why do you support my uncle?" I sighed. "My parents made me. I never wanted to. They forced me to. They said that if I didn't they would kill my little sister." He said, "But you don't believe me." "I do believe you Darien." I told him, "And had we met under different circumstances then I would go out with you. But I can't now because I love Harry." "Does Harry love you?" he asked. "Yes. At least I think he does." I said uncertainly. Does Harry really love me? Of course he does. "If he loves you so much then why hasn't he tried to rescue you?" Darien asked I knew he was trying to make me get suspicious of Harry. "I told him not to." I said confidently. "Nikki are you in there?" someone asked as they pounded on the door. "Harry?" I gasped before Darien pulled me into a passionate kiss. "Alohomora," I heard Harry mutter as I tried to push Darien away, he was to strong. "Get off her!" Harry screamed as he pushed Darien away from me. "You must be Harry." Darien said bitterly. "Guys please don't fight." I begged. "Darien that was totally uncalled for especially after I told you that I was going out with Harry." "Sorry." Darien muttered. "But I forgive you." Darien looked up from the floor and grinned happily, "Only because you befriended me while I was here." "We have to go." Remus said hurriedly. "The others wont be able to hold the rest of the death eaters off for long." "Lets hit it." I said happily before kissing Harry on the cheek. "Do you want to cone Darien?" "I can't," he sighed, "Stun me so it will look like I tried to stop you guys from taking Nikki." "To bad about all of this." I said to him. "Maybe you'll get another chance at happiness." "Maybe, now go before it's to late." He said. "I'll miss you." I said before giving him a kiss. "Stupefy. Sorry." "Come on." Harry said through gritted teeth. "Calm down, Lover Boy, I like you not him." I teased, "That was just a pity kiss. No worries." "Pity kiss?" Harry asked as we ran through the halls of the tree story building. "We got her!" Remus shouted to Kingsley, Tonks, Sirius, and Bill who were all engaged in duels. "Bye guys." Tonks grinned at the two men she had been dueling before disapperating. "Meet ya at HQ." Bill said before the rest of them left. "Oh fuck!" I screamed as someone grabbed me from behind. "Expelliarmus!" the person who held me bellowed, Remus and Harry's wand flew out of their hands, "The Dark Lord wouldn't like it very much if we let you get away." "Let go of me." I begged as I struggled to free myself. "And we've got him a bonus. A werewolf and Harry Potter." He hissed sinisterly as he tightened his grip on my arms. "How about we make a deal?" I winced. "You let them go and I'll do anything for you." "Nikki!" Harry yelled. "Shut it Harry." I snapped, "Listen Voldemort wants me. And to tell you the truth he'd be happy with just me. He wants to get Harry on his own." "Really," the man asked. God how stupid is this guy? "Really," I said as if it was a juicy bit of gossip, "And about the werewolf. What would Voldemort want with a useless werewolf?" "Nicole?" Remus sighed. "Bite me dog boy." I snapped before mouthing, "I'm so sorry." "That's funny," the man snorted, "You said 'bite me dog boy' and.and he's a werewolf. Get it?" "Okay you know what you have some major issues. That wasn't even funny." I said as I slipped away from him when he fell to the ground laughing. "I'll take these." "Use this portkey to get out of here." Remus ordered. "Right." Harry and I said together as we took the old brass key from Remus. Seconds later we were at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Remus appeared shortly after. "I'm so sorry about what I said back there, Remus. I had to make him think that I didn't care about you guys." I said then I added to Harry with false anger, "I told you not to save me." "Were you planning on the guard letting you go or were you really willing to sacrifice yourself?" he asked. "Brave wasn't I? Giving up myself in order to save you and Remus." I grinned as I thought of what had just taken place. "I prefer to call it stupidity." Harry muttered under his breath. He thought I couldn't hear him. You'd think after being with me for as long as he has he would have figured out that I have excellent hearing. "Thank you for saving me." I said as I wrapped my arms around him, "And thanks to you guys too." "You're very welcome but it was Corrie that found out where they were keeping you." Kingsley admitted. "Thanks a ton Corrie." I said to my best friend, "How did you find me?" "I tried scrying." She explained. "It worked.after the tenth time, or was it the fifteenth try?" "Should have known." I laughed. "School's over isn't it?" "Been over for a week." Harry said. "We have to go home then. Don't we Corrie." I sighed. "You do. But I'm going to France with Jean." Corrie said. "At least for a month I'll be in France with Jean. My parents won't let me stay any longer. They think I'm going on a class trip."  
~*~  
"Bye," I said to Harry before he pulled me close and gave me a kiss on the lips. Sirius barked disapprovingly. He still disapproved of our relationship, though now he didn't mind as much. He now knew how much I truly cared for Harry and that I would never ever intentionally hurt anyone.  
"Goodbye," he whispered into my ear. I glanced at Harry's Uncle Vernon who waited for Harry near the entrance.  
"I have something I want to tell your uncle." I said to Harry as I pulled him in the direction of his Uncle. "Mr. Dursley, I presume."  
"Yes," he said looking me over in a rather rude way.  
"I just wanted to be the one to tell you that if you step out of line with Harry once this summer I'll be one the next plane over, wand ready." I said, Harry glanced warily at me.  
"I know you are not aloud to use magic outside of that rubbish school of yours." Uncle Vernon said his voice quivered slightly.  
"Want a bet?" I asked, he grunted in response. "I call this spell Wingardium Leviosa." I said as I waved my wand around. I never actually cast the spell but made Mr. Dursley rise up off the ground a few inches with my telekinetic abilities.  
"Have a good summer." Harry told me.  
"I will if you agree to come over." I said.  
"We never said you could have a friend over." Someone behind me said.  
"Mom! Dad!" I screamed joyfully. "So can he come over this summer?" I begged.  
"Of course." My dad began, "If your room is clean."  
"You are going to love the United States." I excitedly told Harry.  
"We have to leave soon or we'll miss the plane." My mom said as she glanced at her watch.  
"Bye Harry, bring Snuffles." I said as I waved goodbye to him. "Bye Ron, Hermione, Cho." I named off all of my Hogwarts friends. "Mom, dad? Can Ron and Hermione come over as well?"  
"We'll think about it." They answered together.  
"I'll send you guys an owl." I told them. My parents and I exited the train station; I waved to Corrie who was being helped into a black stretch limo. She waved back happily.  
"See you in a month," she called out to me. She was going to France with Jean for a month; her parents said she couldn't stay any longer than that. I looked out the window of the small yellow cab as it pulled away from the train station. I saw Harry climbing into his Uncle's car. I waved again though I knew he couldn't see me.  
Goodbyes aren't always forever, someone once said. At least for me they aren't.  
~*~ Andrea: The end. I can't believe it. I'm done; I thought the end would never come. But alas here it is so very near. Sorry for the cliffhanger. Do not fret dear readers who have stuck with me through thick and thin, long and short, good and bad.(continues for about five hours) Cat: Shut up Andrea. They don't want to here you going on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.(continues for about five hours) Alexa: I think they get the point. Cat: Exactly Andrea so shut it. Alexa: I was talking to both of you. Cat: Oh. Andrea: Ha ha. Cat: Meanie Andrea: Goodbye dear readers do not forget me. Alexa: Or me. Cat: Or me. Andrea: Cat you didn't help write this so you shouldn't be in the author's goodbye. So like be gone. Cat: Oh ok. Bye. (Walks away pouting) Andrea: As I was saying goodbye readers. I shall miss thee. Read the sequel Coming Home. Alexa: Lets give them a sneak peek at what they're in for. Andrea: Okay. I'll tell you one thing. Cat is Sirius Black's stalker. Cat: (Turns around and runs back) I am. not his. stalker. I am his lover. Andrea: It's my story so you are going to be his stalker whether you like it or not. So there. Cat: I'm his lover. Andrea: Meanie. (Sticks toung out at Cat who copies.) Alexa: Well bye until the end of Coming Home. Andrea & Cat: Bye. Cat: Don't stalk. Actively follow. Andrea: Same thing. Cat: Is not. 


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